The OneMonth Experiment
by LastGirlOnTheWrite
Summary: Ichigo agrees to help Urahara with an experiment for one month in return for Kidou training. Little does Ichigo know, he is about to learn more about the opposite sex, and his friends, than he ever thought possible... Rated M for safety
1. Day 1: Sunday, February 7

**Hey there, I'm LastGirlOnTheWrite. I've been wanting to do one of these for a while now. This is my first fanfiction, so I hope everyone likes it. I've always had a soft spot for gender-bender stories, and once I got this idea in my head I just couldn't stop myself. I hope everyone will forgive me for what I'm about to do to poor Ichigo! ^_^**

**I do not own Bleach or any of the characters therein.**

**Summary: Urahara makes Ichigo an offer he can't pass up. Help him with an experiment for the SWA in return for Kido training. How bad could it be? Little does Ichigo know, he is about to learn far more about the opposite sex than he would ever want to… by becoming one of them!**

* * *

"_**URAHARA!**_"

Sometimes, Ichigo Kurosaki simply could _not_ believe his luck. Even after stopping Aizen and his cohorts, life was still one big hassle after another. As if trying to keep up with school while dealing with the everyday hollow attacks wasn't enough of a bother, Ichigo would still find some way to get himself buried neck deep into whatever problem the cosmos had cooked up for him that month. Some days all he could think was that whatever gods governed the universe were screwing up his life on purpose all for the sake of their own amusement.

Today was _definitely_ one of those days.

* * *

Everything had started off so innocently…

The war was over, and life in general had gone back to normal. It was a quiet Sunday in early February, and for once Ichigo actually had the house to himself. No neurotic dad, no pestering sisters, no annoying soul reapers… just Ichigo by himself enjoying a little peace and quiet. It was well past noon, and Ichigo had managed to finish his homework over an hour ago. With all the extra work he had been putting in lately, what with his soul reaper duties and extra credit assignments to salvage his grades, Ichigo honestly felt that he deserved a day to just lie about and relax.

And then the phone rang.

It was normal enough. Just a phone call, nothing out of the ordinary.

Ichigo could not have been more wrong.

He got up off of his bed and meandered downstairs to the phone. Answering with a stifled yawn, Ichigo was surprised to find out that Urahara was on the other line. The conversation was quick and basic. Urahara needed Ichigo's help with something, and wanted the substitute to come over and give him a hand. A little voice in the back of Ichigo's mind tried to warn him against it, but he just shrugged it off as laziness and agreed to come over. After all, it's not like he had anything better to do with his day. And as much as he may hate to admit it, Ichigo still felt like he owed Urahara for his help in the past. If pitching in every once in a while would ease his conscience, then that's what he would have to do.

The trip to the shoten was a pleasant one. Winter had passed and spring was well on its way. The sky reminded him of his inner world the few times he had been there; a brilliant blue with a few lazy clouds strolling by.

He had no idea that it was the calm before the storm.

It wasn't until Ichigo rounded the last corner and the shoten came into sight that he first started to feel uneasy. The shop itself was just as it always was, but for some reason Ichigo could not shake this strange feeling that he had in the pit of his stomach.

Something just wasn't quite right.

Before Ichigo could think about what was feeling off to him the shoten door slid open, revealing a rather enthusiastic Kisuke Urahara.

"Kurosaki-san!" He practically squealed, "I'm so very glad you could come on such short notice! Please come inside! "

Despite the nagging feeling in the back of his mind, Ichigo followed Urahara into the shoten, closing the door behind him.

"I do apologize for calling you in like that, but unfortunately Tessai, Ururu and Jinta had to go out on some important business earlier today and they won't be back for quite a while yet, so the only person I had left to call on for help was you, dear Kurosaki-san!"

Ichigo recognized the tone of voice Urahara was using. It was that '_I'm going to be as sweet as possible so you'll do whatever I say no matter how strange it may sound…'_ tone. That little voice in his head and the funny feeling he had in his gut earlier were starting to make a whole lot more sense now.

_I'm not going to like this, I can already tell…_ Ichigo sighed, frowning a bit more deeply. He began to wonder if he could somehow get out of helping the slightly cracked scientist without looking like a total schmuck. _Not likely_…

Resigning himself, Ichigo decided that he better get his over with as quickly and with as little mental scaring as possible.

"Alright Urahara, what are you up to?"

"Come now, Kurosaki-san, what makes you think I'm _up to_ something?"

"Urahara, when are you _not_ up to something?"

"Ah… _touché_…"

"So, are you going to tell me, or am I going home?"

"Alright, alright, " Urahara explained with a slightly hitch in his voice,"…I _am _up to something, but it's nothing major. Just a little experiment I've been working on for the SWA. I've almost got it finished, but I need to test it, and you are the perfect candidate!"

"Oh, _hell no!_"

The moment the words _experiment_ and _test_ came out of Urahara's mouth Ichigo wanted nothing more than to run screaming.

"Urahara, I am _not_ a lab rat, and if you think I'm going to…"

"I'll make it worth your while…"

Ichigo stopped for a moment. He shouldn't have. He _should_ have been running out the door. But there he was, actually wondering what Urahara had up his sleeves this time.

"Okay, spill. What exactly do you think is going to entice me enough to let you use me as your beta test?"

"Here's the deal," Urahara was practically beaming with excitement. He _knew_ that once Ichigo heard what he had planned there would be no way the substitute soul reaper would say no, "… the experiment itself is relatively harmless and the side-effects last for one month. During that month you will be monitored remotely while going about your everyday life. In return for your services, I will offer you a trade. You do this for me, and I will personally train you in Kido and in controlling that massive _rietsu_ of yours. So, what do you say? Just one month of helping me with this and you'll be able to learn skills that could help you for the rest of your life _and afterlife_! Well? What do you think!?"

Ichigo was slightly speechless. He had been thinking of finding someone to teach him how to use Kido for a while now, but the list of candidates was infuriatingly short. He didn't want to ask Rukia, mostly because of the fact that the midget's idea of training was to gripe, yell at him, draw horrible pictures as visual aids, and then beat him with the sketchbook. For a while he considered asking the Visored, but decided against that too, since he really didn't want to deal with them constantly ribbing him over every little thing. He also didn't want to deal with that snaggletooth, Hiyori. He'd had quite enough of _her _the first time around. The only other person readily available was Kisuke Urahara...

The idea of being the test subject for some experiment did not sit well with him at _all_… but getting to learn Kido might be worth the risk. Later, Ichigo would attribute his response to a bout of temporary insanity, but at the moment he was seriously considering the clog-wearing merchant's offer. It was only a month, after all. How bad could it be?

Then he realized that if Urahara was willing to teach him, then maybe he would teach someone else too. After all, Ichigo wasn't the only one who wanted to get stronger. Maybe if he haggled a bit…

Urahara waited patiently as the orange haired substitute soul reaper pensively considered his offer. After all, contrary to popular belief, the boy wasn't stupid. He'd proven that many times in the past. Impatient and reckless maybe, but most certainly _not_ stupid. The potential gains from learning Kido were too great for even someone as powerful as Ichigo to ignore. He would take the offer. Kisuke was certain of it.

"Alright Urahara. I'm probably gonna regret this, but I'll do it on one condition."

Kisuke Urahara was practically bursting at the seams with excitement. The SWA was paying _big _money for this little experiment. He was going to make a _fortune_ off of this… not that he would tell Ichigo that…

"Alright, what is this condition of yours, Kurosaki-san?"

Ichigo couldn't stop the slight flush that rose to his cheeks as he looked away from Urahara for just a second before taking a steadying breath. Rubbing the back of his neck a bit before sighing, he blurted out his only demand.

"I want you to teach Inoue too."

Urahara's eyebrows vanished under his hat as he looked at Ichigo with mild surprise. Of all the demands the young man could make, that most certainly was not one he was expecting. He had begun to suspect that the substitute soul reaper had a bit of a soft spot for the young healer. Curiosity got the better of the shady merchant, and he just couldn't help but voice the obvious question.

"May I ask why?"

Ichigo dropped his gaze to the floor as he let out a long sigh. How was he going to explain this? It wasn't like he wanted to put Inoue in danger; he had learned firsthand that she was quite capable of doing that herself. It was just that she really wasn't much of a fighter. Sure, she had Tsubaki, but the little guy can only do so much, and if that Hueco Mundo fiasco was any indication, she needed more options than just _attack, shield, _and _heal_. _Wait… that's it!_

"She needs more options. Kido will give her that, right?"

Keisuke nodded, and couldn't help but smile a little at the young man in front of him. _Maybe, _he mused to himself, _there's hope for him after all…_

"Kido will most certainly give Inoue-san more options to defend herself with. Very well, I accept your condition. So, do we have a deal?"

Ichigo shook his head before huffing out another sigh. _I just know I'm going to regret this…_

"We have a deal."

* * *

Ichigo looked down at the strange bracelet Urahara had tightly strapped to his wrist with open contempt.

"Urahara-san, why _exactly_ do I have to wear this thing, again?"

Ichigo was standing in the underground training area beneath the Urahara Shoten in his soul reaper form, leaving his body upstairs at Kisuke's request. On his wrist was a silver bracelet with no visible clasp. It was thin and demure, something that a girl might wear. Definitely _not_ something Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute soul reaper and closet superhero should be wearing.

"Kurosaki-san, that bracelet is the key to this entire experiment! It will monitor and record everything that happens during the experiment and the month that follows. Once the month is over and the side-effects cease you absolutely _must_ bring that bracelet back to me. Otherwise, this will have been a complete waste of time for the both of us."

"Okay, okay, I get it! Bracelet important; don't lose it. Alright, so let's get this over with already. What do you need me to do?"

"Eager as ever, I see! Very well then… take this."

Urahara handed Ichigo a red box with a small white tab in the front. The box itself was light, almost as though it were empty inside.

"Alright Ichigo, listen carefully. I'm going to observe the experiment from a distance, so once I leave I want you to count to sixty, and then pull out the white tab and lift the lid."

"… That's it?"

"That's it!"

"So… just pull the tab?"

"And lift the lid."

"Okay… seems simple enough…"

"Yup."

"Well," Ichigo sighed, he seemed to be doing that a lot today "… I guess we should get this started, right?"

"Oh! Yes, of course. I'll be going then…"

With that, Urahara quickly flash stepped to safety, well out of the range of his _experiment_.

"Okay…" Ichigo mused to himself. "I guess I should start counting."

* * *

After sixty seconds, Ichigo tentatively did as instructed. First, he gently pulled out the white tab, which disintegrated as soon as it came free of the box.

"Freaky…" Ichigo mumbled as he moved his hand to lift the lid on the innocent looking red box.

"This is some weird experiment. I mean honestly, what could Urahara possibly fit into such a tiny…"

Ichigo didn't get to finish that sentence, for at that particular moment he lifted the lid and was instantly engulfed in a searing white explosion that sent him catapulting back dozens of feet, leaving him unconscious on the ground.

* * *

Elsewhere, hiding behind one of the larger rock mounds of his training area, a very excited Kisuke Urahara was conversing with a highly amused Yoruichi Shihoin.

"You _actually_ got him to do it?"

"Yes I did."

"How!?"

"I made him an offer he couldn't refuse."

Yoruichi giggled at the thought of what Ichigo had just gotten himself into. Who would have thought that he would agree to…

"Kisuke… did you… tell him what the box _does_?"

"Ha…ha… nope!"

"_Oh… Kisuke..._" Yoruichi stared at Urahara with a mixture of shock and amusement.

"When _he_ wakes up _he _is going to _kill _you!_"_

* * *

Killing Kisuke Urahara was definitely up there on his to-do list.

Ichigo was sprawled on his back a good thirty feet from where he had been standing, just barely returning to consciousness. His entire body felt slightly numb and everything was still spinning from the explosion. Glancing up from his prone position, Ichigo was able to make out the slowly approaching form of the soon-to-be-deceased shop owner, joined by a jovial Yoruichi.

"Wow, Kisuke, you've really out-done yourself this time…"

"I have indeed! I can't wait to see what the Soul Reaper Women's Assosiation does with this new product."

"Oh… those poor boys won't know what hit them…"

Ichigo could practically feel the smugness rolling off of the two spectators, and he just knew that they were mocking him in some way. After all, what the hell kind of experiment was this anyway!? How hard was it to make a box blow up in someone's face? Ichigo couldn't help but think that he was just the butt of some obscure joke, and he wasn't going to take it for a second longer!

"_URAHARA!"_

Said shopkeeper yelped in surprise. He wasn't expecting the teen to be conscious already. Kisuke saw the murderous glint in Ichigo's eyes, and knew that if he didn't find some way to placate the youth quickly he was going to be running for his life in a few seconds…

"N..now Ichigo… just remember that you agreed to this before-hand, and that it's only for one month and then you should change back but if you don't then you're going to need me to fix…"

The next few words were caught in Urahara's mouth. During his self-preservation speech, Ichigo had rolled to his stomach and pushed himself up, unknowingly letting the front of his shihakusho fall forward as he did, still too numb to notice the slight difference in his figure. He was still staring at Urahara with that _I-am-going-to-kill-you_ look when Yoruichi was assailed by a fit of giggles, but at that particular moment Kisuke wasn't too concerned. He was too busy _enjoying_ _the_ _view_.

Ichigo was about to begin his crusade against all things Urahara when he noticed Yoruichi behind said dead-man, doubled over laughing. Irritation set in again, to be replaced by curiosity when the substitute soul reaper's eyes ghosted over the face of perverted shopkeeper. He'd seen a lot of the faces Kisuke could make, but this one was completely new. It reminded him of a starving man about to be served his first meal in weeks.

Ichigo was confused. Why was Urahara staring at him like that… and why was he drooling? Curiosity got the better of the teen, and he casually glanced down at himself. _Weird_, he thought, _why does it look like I have…_

Realization hit Ichigo like a brick wall. Tentatively, he reached up for the hem of his shihakusho, and gently pulled the fabric forward, giving himself an excellent view of a pair of large and oddly tanned breasts. This alone was shocking, but before Ichigo could properly whip himself into the righteous fury necessary for smiting one Kisuke Urahara, the previous numbness finished receding, and Ichigo noticed that along with his new _additions_ there was a conspicuous _absence_ as well. Before he could stop himself his hand snaked down to his groin, only to find smooth skin where a certain _something_ should have been.

It was too much. Faced with such an impossible and ridiculous situation as this, Ichigo Kurosaki did the only thing any self-respecting teenager could do…

_He fainted._

* * *

**Well, that's it for the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. ^_^**


	2. Minor Complication

**Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I was always a little disappointed with the few Ichigo-gender-change fics out there because they only seemed to cover the shock value of Ichigo becoming a girl. I decided to do this fic because I wanted to show what happens **_**before**_** and **_**after**_** the change, and everything in between. And who knows? Maybe Ichi will learn a few things about himself and the people around him! ^_^**

**As for pairings, I wanted this to be more of a deepening of friendship story overall, although a **_**few**_** pairings may manifest themselves towards the end. :3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters therein.**

**Well, enough talk. On with Chapter 2!**

* * *

Waking up was not a pleasant experience. Ichigo felt like his entire body was stiff and unresponsive, and he was certain that he had just had the absolute _worst_ nightmare of his _life_.

Opening his eyes wasn't much fun, either. Everything was blurry, and moving seemed like such a pain at the time. _Five more minutes…_ he thought to himself as let his eyelids slid heavily downward. But before Ichigo could succumb to slumber he heard a few _very_ familiar voices from nearby.

"Ur-Urahara-san… what... I mean… how… w-why…! Wh-What did you _DO_?"

_Huh, that sounds kind of like…_

"Now, Inoue-san, please calm down. He's perfectly fine…"

"_Bbuu-b-but…_"

…_Inoue? _Ichigo thought to himself, his dazed consciousness wondering what she was doing here. _Wait, where am I anyway?_

"Inoue, _breathe_. Ichigo is fine, but he's probably going to need your help for a while. Don't _worry_, he'll be ok. The process will reverse itself in one month, and then he will be back to normal."

…_Was that Yoruichi? What Process? _

"Bu-but, what's he…uh, she…ah, I mean…uh… what's _K-Kurosaki-kun_ g-going to _do_ f-for a whole _month _like _that_!"

…_wait…SHE!_

Suddenly, Ichigo's eyes shot open, the teen deciding that he very much needed to be awake right now. He looked down to see himself covered in a heavy comforter as he lie in one of the shoten's back rooms.

_It was dream. It HAD to be a dream… right?_

Ichigo gulped as he slowly lifted himself up, his hair falling down in front of his face, not noticing that it had spontaneously grown nearly a foot in length. He _did _notice that he wasn't in his soul reaper form any more, and his body felt heavy for some reason. Lifting up the comforter slowly, Ichigo saw a body that could not _possibly_ belong to him. He still looked like he worked out, but the muscles were smaller and shifted in ways they just weren't _supposed to_. If that alone wasn't enough of a shock, he was wearing an outfit that he wouldn't be caught dead. He had a pair of tight denim shorts on that hugged his hips (which seemed to have expanded considerably) in all the _wrong_ ways, and his shirt wasn't much better. It was a sleeveless little black thing that barely made it down to his waist, and it was so tight around his chest that it was kind of hard to breathe as it hugged…his… _b…r…e..._

Ichigo's eyes widened, and before he could stop himself he was screaming at the top of his lungs.

* * *

Orihime Inoue had just been given the shock of her life. She had been at out shopping at a nearby convenience store when she sensed Ichigo Kurosaki's _rietsu_ do a weird kind of _flip-flop _before settling back down. Worried over what might have happened, the healer decided to check and make sure that her hero was alright. Just a quick visit to ease her fears, and then back home to start making supper.

Unfortunately, Orihime walked into the shoten at just the right time to see Ichigo's body lying soulless on the floor and a giggling Yoruichi carrying an unconscious lady soul reaper with familiar orange hair into the adjoining room. The moment Yoruichi noticed Orihime she stopped, and had a look of sudden panic cross her face. The former leader of the Stealth Force quickly regained her composure. '_I can wiggle out of this,'_ she thought to herself, _'just tell her enough so she'll go home but not enough for her to figure out what's really going on…'_

Any hope of fooling the innocent teenager was quickly dashed however when an exuberant and slightly addled Kisuke Urahara asked what was taking Yoruichi so long with Ichigo-_chan_, stating that they needed to get _her_ into _that special_ _gigai_ before _she_ wakes up, or there will be hell to pay.

Orihime's eyes furrowed in confusion as she looked from Yoruichi, to the _Ichigo-chan_ she was carrying, then to the prone form of Ichigo Kurosaki, then back again to the _Ichigo-chan_. Then, she felt it. The _rietsu_ she came here to find was in the room with her, and it was coming from the unconscious _girl_!

Three things then happened in quick succession.

First, Kisuke Urahara came out to see what the holdup was, only to glance at the widening eyes of a horrified Orihime Inoue.

Second, Yoruichi, seeing where this was going, quickly set Ichigo down, giving Orihime an excellent view of Zangetsu strapped onto the Goddess of Flash's back.

Third, Orihime's eyes widened infinitely, before rolling back into her head as she fainted on the spot, and was caught by Yoruichi before she could hit the ground.

* * *

She had woken up a few minutes later, confused, distressed, and on the verge of hyperventilation.

"Ur-Urahara-san… what... I mean… how… w-why…! Wh-What did you _DO_?"

The poor girl was flailing madly, well beyond the verge of panic. She was sitting next to Ichigo's soulless body, trying to decide between feeling mortified, terrified, and horrified. The still unconscious substitute had been taken to the adjoining room to rest, and Urahara refused to let her see him until she stopped panicking.

"Now, Inoue-san, please calm down. He's perfectly fine…"

"_Bbuu-b-but…_"

_How can he be __**fine**__?_

Tears threatened to well-up in her big grey eyes as she tried, and failed, to reign in her quickly scattering thoughts and make sense of the insanity that had just skewed her day.

"Inoue, _breathe_. Ichigo _is_ fine, but he's probably going to need your help for a while. Don't _worry_, he'll be ok. The process will reverse itself in one month, and then he will be back to normal."

"Bu-but, what's he…uh, she…ah, I mean…uh… what's _K-Kurosaki-kun_ g-going to _do_ f-for a whole _month _like _that_!"

Urahara smiled a little at that particular question. He had planed everything out beforehand, already knowing _exactly_ what Ichigo-chan was going to be doing. The demented shopkeeper had hoped to spare _some _of the boy's dignity by keeping the fact that he was no longer a _boy _a secret from everyone, but that plan flew out the window when Orihime showed up. '_Still,'_ he thought to himself, '_I think I have a way to salvage this…'_ Urahara ginned inwardly at his cunning genius. After all, if Orihime knows what's going on, then she could help them out!

"Well, since you asked, I was hoping you would be kind enough to let him stay with _you_ for the next month. After all, you really are the only female friend he has that knows about his… ah… _extracurricular activities_… if you get my meaning. And based on what I've heard from Yoruichi, our Ichigo-_chan_ is very innocent, so he probably doesn't know the first thing about girls, so _she's_ going to need a few pointers…"

"_P-p-p-pointers…?_"

A shrill scream that could have given any hollow a run for its money ripped through the conversation.

Everyone sat, shocked into stunned silence by the sudden wail as all eyes turned to the side room where a certain Ichigo Kurosaki had, quite obviously, woken up. The silence was quickly broken by frantic shuffling followed by stomping feet and ending with the sliding partition being violently wretched open.

There stood Ichigo Kurosaki in all his glory, wrapped tightly in the same blanket that he had been sleeping under, using it to _hide_ himself as if it were a hooded robe. The only part of him readily visible were his feet, which had shrunk slightly, and his face, which had flushed a deep red and was currently framed by matted strands of vibrant orange hair streaming well past his chin. Said chin was not as angular as it used to be, as it and the majority of his other facial features had rounded a bit. His chocolate eyes had widened, but not by much, and they flashed with barely contained rage. He probably would have looked sweet, daresay even _darling_, had it not been for his trademark perma-frown and the look in his eyes promising death. Said eyes quickly fixed themselves onto the form of a certain ex-captain-turned-shop-owner-soon-to-turn-compost.

"**Urahara…**_"_

Everyone immediately tensed. The voice coming from the livid teen was not what the shopkeeper or his guests were expecting. The timber of his voice had risen, as was expected from the male-to-female transformation, but that wasn't what had everyone on edge. There was a watery exhalation mixed in with the words, and the teen's eyes had almost instantly gone from burning chocolate orbs to molten gold pools surrounded by inky darkness.

"…**fix this…or I swear…I…will let **_**HIM**_** HAVE YOU**_**!"**_

Kisuke Urahara quickly realized the slight error he had made. In his exuberance to try out his latest invention on the substitute soul reaper, he had forgotten about one _itsy_-bitsy detail.

Ichigo Kurosaki was a Visored.

* * *

**Well, how was it? I just couldn't help but put a little cliff-hanger in there, so I hope you'll forgive me for that. ^_^**

**I think I got Ichigo's reaction down perfectly, considering how prudish he is in the series. I'm starting to enjoy this quite a bit. I always have trouble getting started, but once I get going there's just no stopping me!**

**Also, to clarify: Just in case it was too vague, Ichigo is threatening to let his **_**inner hollow**_** out to deal with Urahara if he can't fix what he did.**

**Let's just say, Ichigo isn't the **_**only**_** one pissed about what's happened ^_^**

**Well, until next time! **


	3. Dodging The Bullet

**Welcome back!**

**Sorry this took so long. I was having some trouble trying to get this chapter just right. For a while there, I honestly just wasn't feeling it, but now I've got the ball rolling again, so to speak.**

**My biggest problem was whether or not to have a conversation between Ichigo, Hollow Ichigo, and Zangetsu added in. I had originally had a short conversation between the three of them, but as I thought about it I realized that having Zangetsu or Hollow Ichigo talking to Ichigo would actually be out of character. In the entire series, Zangetsu only talks to Ichigo during emergencies, and Hollow Ichigo has stopped talking to Ichigo all-together after losing the battle for kingship (the conversations caused by Muramasa in the anime don't count because they were initiated by an outside influence and were not the will of the inner spirits themselves).**

**So, I had to re-write and re-think almost the entire chapter. I think it was worth it, though. I'm much happier with it now.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Kisuke Urahara had to think _fast!_

The angry Visored wrapped in a blanket was literally on the verge of exploding. The _gigai_ he created was one of his best works, capable of suppressing even Ichigo Kurosaki's immense _rietsu_, but it wasn't designed to handle _hollowfication… _

If something wasn't done quickly, they were going to need a new shop.

He had to find a way to placate the livid teen, and quickly.

Thankfully, help came just in time.

"_Bakudo number Sixty One: Rukujyoukourou"_

Six rods of bright white light skewered the gender-bent teen, binding him in place. Everyone turned to see Tessai walking into the shop (with the exception of the bakudo-ed Ichigo, who just glared in that general direction).

"**You better have a **_**DAMN**_** good reason for doing that pal…"**

"I do."

"**Well… do **_**share**_**!"**

Tessai glanced away from the currently stalled teen and over to his employer, silently raising and eyebrow.

Kisuke got the message.

"Ah, well you see…" The shop owner began quickly, "… that _gigai _you're in was designed to mask your spiritual pressure, filter it, and then change its composition before releasing it in small amounts. It was meant so that you could go about daily life without others finding out who you really are, but it wasn't designed for containing _hollow_ _rietsu. _To put it simply, your _hollowfication_ is overloading the _gigai_, and if you don't stop it's going to overload the suppressor, resulting in a minor implosion, followed by a massive _explosion_."

Silence filled the room.

* * *

Ichigo growled mentally, grinding his teeth and glaring daggers at the psychotic shop owner that had gotten him into this mess. At that particular moment the teen wanted nothing more than to turn the demented scientist into fertilizer, but this new development had thrown a major hitch into those plans.

After waking up to the shock of his life, Ichigo had quickly decided that he would be much happier after beating a certain clog-wearing merchant to a bloody pulp. To say that he was livid would be an understatement. There wasn't a word to describe just what the teen had felt at that particular moment. Anger, mortification, embarrassment, violation, fear; all wrapped up in a pretty little package for him to enjoy. Ichigo noticed almost immediately that the body Urahara had put him in somehow drastically weakened his _rietsu_, so the teen decided to _hollowfy _so he would have enough power while in the physical body to do some real damage to the demented shopkeeper.

Ichigo had hoped to force Urahara to change him back after beating him into submission, but that no longer seems to be an option for the frustrated teen, bound as he was. For a moment, the substitute seriously considered testing Urahara's exploding _gigai_ theory by raising his _rietsu_ enough to break the kidou binding him, thinking that it was worth the risk of blowing up if it would get him out of the bakudo holding him in place long enough to get his hands around Urahara's neck.

Just as Ichigo was considering suicide by spontaneous implosion, a single voice cut through the silence and quenched the youth's mounting wrath.

"K-k-ku-rosaki-k-kun?"

Ichigo stiffened (as much as one could stiffen while under the influences of such a powerful Bakudo). He had completely forgotten that Inoue was in the room with them. Looking over, he saw something that stabbed at his heart and made him loose all of his bluster in an instant. There sat Orihime Inoue, wide grey eyes staring at his own tainted orbs with a mixture of worry, a touch of fear, and genuine concern for his safety. She hid it well, but Ichigo could see the slight tremble in her hands as she looked up at him pleadingly. The young girl looked as though the slightest push would send her into a fit of tears.

Ichigo was _not_ about to let that happen. After Orihime's safe return from Hueco Mundo, the young man had to explain to a very irate Tatsuki (as well as an excitable Keigo and apathetic Mizuiro) what had happened to her best friend and why. The beating she had given him for making Orihime cry during the battle with Grimmjow would not soon be forgotten.

The substitute sucked in a shaky breath through his teeth before releasing his _hollowfication_. He sent an apologetic look to Inoue as he let out the breath in a sigh as the last of his darker powers slinked back into the depths of his soul.

* * *

Kisuke Urahara released his own sigh of relief as the tense energies that had filled his little shop moments ago began to dissipate. Nodding to Tessai, the large man released the binding holding Ichigo Kurosaki in place.

The gender-bent teen neatly crumpled to the floor, the effort of _hollowfying_ while in Kisuke's special _gigai_ finally taking its toll. The boy-turned-girl was still wrapped head to toe in the large comforter that he had brought with him from the room he was resting in. Ichigo kept his gaze downward as he tried to keep from passing out, a look of petulance and irritation tainting what would have otherwise been an adorable pout.

Kisuke somehow managed to keep from grinning. He had to admit, Ichigo made a beautiful woman. A few of the boy's elongated orange locks had fallen before his face in rebellious strands; darkening his eyes and making his pout look almost _sultry_…

The shop owner quickly banished that thought away to the darkest recesses of his mind. If the look that Yoruichi was giving him was any indication, now was _not_ the time to admire his handiwork.

After giving Ichigo a few minutes to recover and get more comfortably wrapped in his blanket, Kisuke decided that now would be a good time to put his new plan into action.

"Alright everyone," he began, "now that we're ready to talk civilly, I'll explain how this is going to work."

* * *

**And that's it for this chapter.**

**It's a little shorter than the others, but I felt like that was a good stopping point. If I kept going I was either going to have to shorten the next conversation or make this chapter much longer, likely forcing me to wait until tomorrow to finish it.**

**Hopefully I'll be able to keep the ball rolling tomorrow too. I'm finally starting to get somewhere ^_^**

**Till next time!**


	4. The Plan

**Yay for chapter four! I actually had some of this chapter originally as a part of chapter three, but then I realized that the explanation process would be rather long, so I decided to split it up. Hopefully we'll be out of the shop by the end of the next chapter.**

**So, enjoy reading! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach**

* * *

Orihime watched the shop owner with confusion and apprehension as Ichigo shot a withering glare in Urahara's direction, but they both kept silent as they listened to what he had to say.

"First of all, let me start by saying this; the transformation is completely _reversible_. You will change back, Ichigo, I can guarantee you that. The question is whether or not you will change back on your own. That is one of the major reasons we are doing this experiment. If everything goes according to my calculations, which it should, the transformation will reverse itself in exactly twenty five days. If you _don't_ change back in that amount of time, then I will have to administer a special serum that will _force_ the reversal process. Now, before you go getting any ideas, the serum itself takes nearly a month to synthesize _anyway_, so you're going to _have_ to spend at least one month in _that_ form no matter what."

Urahara paused to catch his breath before continuing. After all, that had been the _good_ news.

"During that time," he continued, "you must live as normal a life as possible. That means you stay in the _gigai_. No soul-reaping of any kind. I've confiscated your badge, and will return it to you after the experiment is over."

Ichigo seemed about to argue, but before he could get started the shop-owner held up a hand asking the irate teen to be patient and wait until he had finished.

"Kurosaki-san, you don't have to worry about the safety of the town. We will handle things until Kuchiki-san returns from the Soul Society at the end of next week. We plan on telling her that you're off running an errand for me and won't be returning until the end of the month. That should keep her from worrying too much."

"And on the subject of worrying," He continued without missing a beat, "I plan on putting Kon in your body so that none of your friends or family gets suspicious about your absence. I've even worked out a deal with him so he will go to class and behave like a good boy while you're gone so that you don't miss any days at school."

Urahara stopped again at that point, deciding to let what he had just said sink in a bit before taking the big plunge. The next part was definitely _not_ going to go over well.

"And as for you, Kurosaki-san, I had originally planned to keep you here and have you help around the shop for a while… but after seeing how… uh… _upset_ you are over this incident I have decided that you staying here is no longer an option."

Taking in one last breath, Urahara quickly blurted out the last bit of his plan as quickly as he could while still being marginally understandable.

After all, this was the part that was likely to get him killed later.

"Instead, I think it would be best for everyone if you stayed with Inoue-san until the experiment is over. I will arrange for you to join your class as a transfer student starting Wednesday so that you won't fall behind in your studies. I think we'll have you play the role of one of Inoue-san's distant relatives. That way, people won't question why the two of you are living together. We have also set aside a little money for any necessities that you might need over the next month. I would suggest that the two of you go shopping for some cloths that fit as soon as possible, since I don't think you want to be walking around in that blanket for the next month."

The two teen just stared at Urahara, dumbstruck and trying as best they could to make sense of the swiftly spoken monologue.

Ichigo recovered first, realizing that Urahara had essentially just told him that he would going to school while staying at Inoue's house. First of all, there was absolutely _no way _that he was going to school like _that_! How could he be around his friends and have them _not _notice it was him? Everyone would figure it out on the first day! And secondly, how could he stay over at Inoue's house, or any girl's house for that matter, for a whole month? It wasn't right! Just the two of them. Together. Alone. Every night. For one month. _One_ _whole month…_

"Hold up, I can _not_ stay at Inoue's!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm a guy you moron! Guy's don't stay over at girl's houses. It's indecent!"

"Well… I suppose that _is_ true to some extent. My, I didn't think you were quite that chivalrous. However, there is one _small_ flaw in your argument."

"Oh really?" Ichigo sent Urahara another one of his patented withering glares, "What _exactly_ might that flaw be?"

"Simple. You're not a guy anymore; you're a _girl_."

Ichigo's jaw dropped of its own volition at that simple statement. Denial raked at the teen, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that it was true. Sure, he hadn't really… 'taken inventory' so to speak, and he'd tried his best not to think about it, but there it was. His entire predicament summed up into one little sentence.

Still, the substitute soul reaper wasn't about to let the demented shopkeeper win that easily.

"I am _not_ a _girl_!"

Urahara quirked up his eyebrow before smiling mischievously. During the explanation Ichigo had begun to let his guard down. Before anyone could stop him, the scientist quickly snatched up a handful of the blanket that Ichigo was hiding under before pulling it away with a jerk, letting the pseudo-cloak wad up in the corner well out of the reach of the now-exposed gender-bent teen.

Underneath that cloth barrier was a truly unique site to behold. Ichigo now had a body that could rival a Greek goddess. It was a body that most women would _kill_ for. _Her_ face was framed by sixteen-inch long strands of shimmering orange hair serving as an excellent contrast to the deep chocolate orbs that had widened in shock at the sudden removal of the only decent garment the poor teen could find on such short notice. _She_ still had an angular face, but _her_ chin had rounded and _her_ cheek-bones risen. _Her_ neck and shoulders were still covered with corded muscle, and _she_ still looked like _she_ could break most people in half, but the muscles themselves had grown more lithe, and the tight shirt _she_ was wearing looked as though it might split apart if _she_ started flexing. That constricting black shirt, however, was just barely big enough for _her_ breasts, hugging them tightly across _her_ chest, just shy of being unbearable. The shirt itself was a few inches too short, so there was a small gap of tanned skin and toned muscle between where the shirt ends and the shorts begin, exposing the washboard abs that had shrunken to fit the confines of _her_ new waist. The shorts themselves hung low as they hugged _her_ hips tightly before abruptly ending just shy of decency. This had the effect of making _her_ already long and shapely legs look even longer as they sat coiled underneath a body that most men would find absolutely _luscious_.

"From what I can see," Urahara began while trying his best to _not _stare, "you, my dear, are most definitely a _girl_."

A look of shock and disbelief fell across Ichigo's face as he stared incredulously at Urahara's lewd grin.

Unfortunately, the previously silent Orihime chose that particular moment to break out of her reverie by suddenly blushing and returning to her previous state of incoherent babbling and near-hyperventilation.

Her distress was understandable, of course. She had just learned that her crush had just been turned into a girl – a _pretty _girl – and was going to be staying with her! It was insane. It was above and beyond anything she could have ever imagined happening, quite the feat considering the young girl's extravagant daydreams. So many emotions ran through her head all at once, each one vying for the driver's seat. She was confused by what had happened to Ichigo. She was embarrassed that he was going to be staying with her in her tiny apartment. She was worried about whether or not Ichigo was going to be okay with being a… _girl_. And a small part of her deep in the darkest recesses of her mind was a little jealous of just how gosh darn _pretty_ he was!

Ichigo remained silently shocked as Yoruichi, who up till this point had wisely decided to remain unobtrusive in the corner of the room, tried her best to placate the madly flailing healer. Eventually, Orihime calmed down enough to get her breathing under control, but she was still visibly shaken.

It was at this moment that Kisuke Urahara had an idea come to mind that was nothing short of _genius_. He did his best to hide his triumphant smile as he addressed the upset young lady.

"Inoue-san, think of it this way; this is a game – a _competition_ if you will. The objective is to keep everyone from finding out what's happened to Kurosaki-san. We have to make everyone think that the person sitting next to you is _not_ Ichigo Kurosaki, but is instead Ichigo Inoue, your long lost cousin that has come to live with you for an unknown amount of time. If we can keep it a secret for the entire transformation period, then we win. If someone finds out, we lose. So, Inoue-san, don't you want to win?"

Much to Ichigo's dismay, Orihime's eyes lit up at the idea as her lips puckered slightly in interest. Most people don't know about the young girl's extremely competitive streak, but Kisuke Urahara wasn't most people. He knew _all_ of the mannerisms and personality quirks of _all_ of his 'patrons,' and Orihime Inoue was no exception. Based on his previous observations, Orihime should now go into 'competition mode' where the only thing important is winning. By making the bubbly girl think that this entire scenario was a game, Urahara had not only neutralized the akwardness of the situation for her (abet temporarily), but he had also effectively recruited her into unconditionally helping out as much as possible.

And just as he had predicted, Orihime's face burst out into a massive grin quickly followed by a look of steely determination – a look she had actually picked up from Ichigo, although she would never tell him that.

"I want to win, so that is _precisely_ what we are going to do! Right Kurosaki-kun?"

Orihime looked over to Ichigo then, her big grey eyes twinkling with excitement.

Ichigo stared at her for a moment before realizing that he had yet again been out-maneuvered. Urahara had gotten him into a corner that he couldn't get himself out of without either agreeing to go along with this insane plan or breaking Inoue's heart. And Ichigo absolutely refused to hurt the excitable girl. She'd been hurt enough for a dozen lifetimes.

Which left him with only one option.

"…*sigh*… That's right Inoue… we're gonna win…"

Orihime practically glowed with joy at his answer as she began babbling excitedly.

Ichigo turned away from the ecstatic girl in defeat. At this point, he just didn't care anymore. She was happy, he was tired, and as he thought about it he realized that he was hungry too.

Raising his glance up to Urahara one last time, Ichigo decided to get all of his thoughts straightened out before embarking on this insane mission he'd just been conned into.

"So, let me get this straight. I have to spend the next month as a girl, living with my classmate, who is also a girl, go to school posing as her long lost relative, and keep all of my friends from finding out that it's really me."

"In a nutshell, yes."

Ichigo scrunched his face up as he pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated beyond rational thought.

_This_, he thought to himself, _is going to be a very long month._

* * *

**And there you have it! Chapter Four done and done!**

**As you can see, Ichigo is in for **_**WAY**_** more trouble than just Kon. ^_^**

**And just so you know, I plan on torturing Ichigo **_**severely**_** soon. The boys out there have **_**no idea**_** just how traumatizing shopping for 'girl clothes' can be.**

**Any girl that has ever had to get sized for a bra knows **_**exactly**_** what I mean.**


	5. The Least He Could Do

**Oh, my GAWD! Finally!**

**Just so you know, this took absolutely **_**forever**_**!**

**I've been writing quite a bit for this story. The problem is, I'm not writing it linearly. I've been jumping from different events as they come to me. It just took me a while to start on a section that could come **_**right**_** after the last one.**

**I've also done an outline for the rest of the story, and **_**ho-ly crap!**_

**Let me sum up:**

**I intend to have the story encompass 27 days. This doesn't mean 27 chapters. This means more like **_**86**_** chapters spread **_**across**_** 27 days.**

**And just in case you wanted to know, the word count on my master file (the file that has everything I've written for this story compiled into it) is 15,336, 40 pages and counting. This is **_**not**_** including the authors notes, by the way.**

**Let it never be said that I do things half-way.**

**And I still don't own Bleach**

* * *

Outside, the sunlight was beginning to wane. Evening was well on its way, and as if to accentuate that fact…

"*groan*"

… Ichigo Kurosaki's stomach growled rather loudly, catching everyone's attention.

Several muffled snickers came from various parties around the room as the Substitute Soul Reaper tried his best to suppress the blush trying to climb up his neck and onto his cheeks. It was completely understandable that his gut wasn't entirely happy with him; after all, he hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. Urahara's little experiment had the unfortunate side effect of forcing the teen to miss lunch.

As one teen contemplated his vocal gut, the other was doing her best to suppress a fit of giggles. Orihime knew it wasn't really fair of her to find amusement in this, heaven _knows_ that _she's_ been in this situation herself _multiple_ times, but she just couldn't _help_ it. The young lass had never heard Ichigo's stomach grumble before. She couldn't help but think of how strange it was that someone so powerful and kind could still be plagued by something as mundane and common as hunger. In her eyes, Ichigo Kurosaki was the closest thing to a saint she's ever seen, and it really wasn't right for her to be laughing…

"*grooooaan*"

Yoruichi was the first to crack as she released a peal of laughter that quickly infected all of the Shoten's other inhabitants, with the exception of a certain blushing strawberry.

"It's not that funny…" Ichigo mumbled sedately as he stared at the table in front of him. He had folded his arms across his chest, ignoring his new _acquisitions_ as he grumbled to himself. So his stomach growled… Big deal! It was just a normal bodily function; there's no reason to get so _excited_ over it…

As the mirth began to settle down Tessai quietly slipped off into the kitchen to make some tea for their guests and, perhaps more importantly, get started on diner.

"Ichigo."

Said teen looked up to find Yoruichi Shihoin addressing him. He had a lot of respect for the Goddess of Flash, but he still couldn't help but feel a little irritated at her for helping Urahara with whatever scheme that had gotten the teen into his current predicament, not to mention her participation in the most recent laugh-a-thon.

"I think you and Inoue should stay for diner."

"_EH?!"_

Three supprised gasps came out in unison from three very different individuals. Ichigo was surprised and just a tad skeptical, concerned that this might be just another set-up. Orihime was surprised and a little flattered, but wasn't sure if it was really alright to accept an invitation like that. Kisuke Urahara, on the other hand, was surprised and wondering if his childhood friend was trying to get him killed.

Ichigo, Orihime and Kisuke all began responding at the same time, each one talking over the other with their respective messages getting lost in the mix. Orihime was trying to politely decline; Kisuke was trying to cleverly persuade Yoruichi to reconsider; And Ichigo wanted to know what the catch was. The trio instantly fell silent again, wondering who should go first. However, before any of them could get going again, Yoruichi took control of the situation.

"Look_, you,"_ the lady pointed to Ichigo, "are _obviously_ hungry. _You,_" she shifted to indicate Orihime, "haven't noticed how late it's gotten. By the time you got home, finished getting Ichigo settled in, and _then_ finished cooking your own diner it would be closer to _bed_ time than _diner_ time. And, finally, _you,"_ she turned one last time, extending an accusing finger at Urahara, "are responsible for _all_ of this. You have caused these two _children_ an unimaginable amount of grief in the past, the present, and likely in the future too. The absolute _least_ you could do is offer to let them stay for diner after keeping them out so late. Am I clear?"

"Y-yes mam!"

The three instantly lost any thought of arguing and got a little more comfortable around the table just as Tessai returned from the kitchen with the tea. He served each in turn before quickly disappearing back into the kitchen before he got dragged into whatever was going to happen next.

They still had some time to wait before the food would be ready, but conversation came slowly. The only one inclined to talk within the nervous atmosphere was Orihime. After the first few minutes of uncomfortable silence, the young girl attempted to start a conversation with the people around her. She was only marginally successful in that only Yoruichi seemed interested in talking at the moment. Urahara seemed a little nervous and distracted, while Ichigo seemed like he was thinking about something.

As the conversation between the two ladies grew more comfortable, Ichigo couldn't help but look up and sighed despondently as he watched Orihime Inoue chatter to Yoruichi about god-knows-what. He honestly wasn't paying attention anymore. His day had gone from mildly pleasant to completely and utterly insane, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

"Urahara-san," Ichigo breathed out in exasperation, "are we done for now, or is there anything _else_ you want to spring on us before we eat?"

The shopkeeper jumped a little, startled out of his own contemplations. He was actually slightly relieved that Ichigo was still willing to talk to him. He had calculated the odds before-hand and they were in the favor of eventual forgiveness, but it still did his heart a world of good to know that Ichigo was still willing to cooperate. Realizing that he probably shouldn't keep quiet very long, Urahara thought for a moment about the teen's question, and realized that he actually _had_ forgotten something.

"Well, there is _one _more thing…"

"_Ugh_… What?"

"Well, the beginnings of your payment!"

The melancholy teen sat up with interest just as the demented shopkeeper practically bounded out of sight and into one of the Shoten's back rooms used for storage. In all honesty, Ichigo had completely forgotten about his _payment. _Given, he had been rather _distracted_ by his current situation. Still, he should have remembered something that important.

While Urahara was busy rummaging around in the back, Ichigo decided to take advantage of the frazzled scientist's absence by leaning over and retrieving the blanket that Urahara had so inconveniently discarded in the corner. The teen wasn't being petty or anything like that… it was just that he wasn't entirely _comfortable_ with the situation, or what he was _wearing_. The gender-bent teen didn't even _want_ to know whose clothes he had on. The thought alone disturbed him greatly because, quite frankly, there was almost no actual _cloth_ to the degrading outfit. It was uncomfortable, he could barely breathe, and despite the warm tea he was actually getting _cold!_

Before Ichigo's mind could wander any further along the lines of his immediate discomfort (which were long lines, indeed), Urahara returned just as the substitute soul reaper finished wrapping himself back up. The shopkeeper smirked before raising an eyebrow inquisitively to his favorite patron, but any potential mischief was quickly dashed when Ichigo let the top of his comforter fall from his head, revealing a teenage girl sending a very exasperated death glare Urahara's way. He took the hint, realizing that Ichigo had obviously had enough already, and any more teasing on his part was only going to make his punishment once this was over that much worse.

"What's that?"

The cheerful voice of a much more comfortable Orihime Inoue surprised the two glaring individuals as she suddenly stopped her conversation with Yoruichi, much to the lady's relief. The girl was sweet, but Orihime could babble on at nausium if left to her own devices.

"Ah, this!" Urahara replied, motioning to the large tome and several smaller ones that he was currently carrying under his arm, "_This_ is your payment for helping out with this little experiment. Well… at least it's the _start_ of your payment, anyways…"

"Payment?"

The young girl was confused, yet again. It always seems that just as she starts to understand what's going on something _new_ comes up and throws everything for a loop. Thankfully, Ichigo decided to elaborate before Urahara had the chance to start explaining in excruciating and embarrassing detail… again.

"Earlier today," He began, "Urahara conned me into helping with this _experiment_ of his by offering to teach me Kidou in return. I actually got you in on the deal too, if you're up to it…"

"M-me?!"

"Well, yeah… I mean, I figured that if I was gonna learn it then it wouldn't be too much trouble to add in one more person. But more importantly, I think I'm gonna need a translator. No offense, Yoruichi-san, but you people from the Soul Society have a crappy way of explaining things. I figured it would help to have another person around that can speak 'Human' to help out if one of us doesn't get something. Plus, I remembered that you once said you wanted to get stronger too, right?"

Orihime shyly nodded before sending Ichigo a bemused smile as she thanked him. She was honestly surprised that he remembered that, considering all of the fighting going on at the time. Secretly, Orihime was ecstatic that her crush was thinking not only of her well-being but also of her desire to help in some way. She blushed slightly at her train of thought, silently berating herself for indulging in such daydreams when one of her most important friends was in such an uncomfortable situation.

"Ahem…"

Ichigo and Orihime both looked up at Urahara as he set the largest of the books down in front of them before setting the other's down next to himself as he took his own seat across the table.

"Now that things have been explained again, I'll tell you about your training, and then we'll have diner, and after that you are both free to go home whenever you want." Urahara began, before reaching across the table and opening the largest tome to its first page.

"This is a Book of Demon Magic. That's another name for Kidou, if you were not aware. Now, as I'm sure you've just noticed, you can't actually _read_ this book. At least, not in a normal sense. Any Kidou spell possesses two parts. The first is a symbol representing the particular spell you wish to cast that must be held in the mind, and the second is the incantation that is used to focus the mind and help circulate _rietsu_ properly. Various combinations of symbols make up individual spells. The key to casting a spell succsessfully is visualizing the required symbol in your mind, passing a constant stream of _rietsu _through it in _just_ the right way, and then releasing it from a single point. The incantation is used to help clear the mind, but it isn't actually _necessary_ to performing Kidou in general. Mind you, messing up has its consequences too. If your concentration wavers, or if you don't keep up a steady stream of _rietsu_, any number of things could happen. At best the spell will either be weakened or fail entirely. At worst, you could blow yourself up."

The two curious teens visibly blanched from the conclusion of that particular sentence. Neither one of them had realized just how complicated Kidou could be, nor did they think that getting blown up sounded even the _least_ bit fun.

"Now, now… don't get distressed just yet. You both have a ways to go before you have to worry about blowing yourselves up. First, you have to memorize the symbols and the incantations that go with them before you can even _attempt_ a spell. Then you have to learn how to control your _rietsu_ enough to channel it through your body and release it on command. _Then_ you get to practice _not_ blowing yourselves up!"

It was at around that moment that Tessai returned with the meal.

* * *

**And, done!**

**The next chapter **_**will**_** have Ichigo and Orihime getting out of the Shoten. I actually already have part of it written, so it shouldn't be anywhere near as long a wait this time.**

**Also, for anyone who thinks this is a little Orihime heavy, I got that too. Orihime **_**is**_** going to be a major player throughout the story, but I **_**am**_** going to incorporate a **_**lot**_** of other characters from the series into it. I already have a rough idea of how Ichigo is going to re-meet Chad, Tatsuki, Chizuru (**_**not**_** gonna be pretty), Rukia, and a few other's I'm going to keep to myself for now... **

**I do, however, have a slight problem. As I'm writing this, I've realized that I have completely forgotten about Ishida. Well, not **_**completely**_**. He **_**is**_** in the epilogue (yes, that's already done ^_^), so now I just need to figure out what he's going to be **_**doing**_** during the story… and how he's going to re-meet Ichigo.**

**I feel kinda bad now. I can't believe I forgot to include one of the major characters.**

**Good thing I caught it now, instead of later ^_^**


	6. Reminiscence

**Ha-ha! I _told_ you it wouldn't be as long a wait!**

**So here you have it!**

**Also, BE WARNED!**

**I have discovered _PLOT_, and I am _not _afraid to use it!**

…**Okay, seriously though, there really is a plot now. And a few sub-plots later on. And I've finally (FINALLY!) started writing like I used to. I've been writing recreationally for years, but it's only thanks to the internet that I can now share it with others...**

**So I hope everyone enjoys it.**

**Also, for anyone wondering, I _have_ figured out what to do with Uryu. It'll be interesting, I think…**

**And if anyone's curious…**

**Master File Word Count: 19,371**

**Master File Pages: 49**

**And I still don't own Bleach.**

* * *

Diner was a simple affair. There was rice, some soup, and some fish. At least, that's what Ichigo thought he saw before he started eating ravenously. He had no idea what any of it tasted like, being too busy eating and too hungry to care.

He finished in record time.

While everyone else was still eating, and tactfully ignoring the way Ichigo had unceremoniously wolfed down everything placed in front of him, the gender-bent teen was able to finally consider his situation seriously. By the time the other diners had finished he had come to several conclusions.

One – Being full made him much less irritable.

Two – In being less irritable, he no longer felt the burning need to strangle Kisuke Urahara. He was still going to get even with the demented scientist somehow, once all of this was over, but at the very least he felt like it could wait.

Three – After thinking about it, he believed that he _should_ be able to survive being a… _girl_… for a month. Even if he had to go to school, and if he didn't want to fall behind then he would, all he really had to do was lay low and play dumb. Just mind his own business and stay out of everyone's way and they'd probably not even notice. Maybe. He hopes.

Four – He had the sinking suspicion that he was going to be blowing himself up. A lot.

Having the chance to mull things over helped to calm the Substitute Soul Reaper down quite a bit. He was still mad and annoyed and a dozen _other_ things, but at least now he could _think_ again.

Thinking, of course, led to curiosity.

"Urahara-san, I get why you brought out the big book, but what are those smaller ones for?"

Ichigo was indicating the three books sitting at Urahara's side. The larger one had been moved from the table when diner had arrived, but the other two were still a mystery.

Everyone around the table stared bewilderedly at Ichigo for a few moments, wondering if he had actually calmed down or if he was just simmering, waiting for someone to say something and get the pot boiling again. After a few moments and another confused look from Ichigo they were for the most part sure that the teen wasn't going to get temperamental and was actually asking the question seriously. Everyone looked to Urahara for the answer.

The shopkeeper silently congratulated himself before saying anything. He knew that Ichigo was much smarter than people realized, but this little stunt had just proven his theory that the Substitute Soul Reaper was also more _rational_ than people gave him credit for. The teen only seemed to become inconsolably irrational when his family or friends were in danger.

Then again, perhaps it was _Ichigo's_ logic that was sound, and the Soul Reapers were the ones that had it wrong.

It was something to look into…

…later.

Right now, he had a question to answer.

"These," Urahara began, handing the two smaller books to Ichigo and Orihime respectively, "Are the new textbooks for training new recruits in Kidou. After centuries of using the same system for teaching Soul Reapers at the Academy, the top brass have decided to update their material. Of course, this was mostly because some of the more… _influential_ members of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads began complaining about adjusting to the world of the living, such as it is. Apparently, people have been complaining about the cultural and technological differences for some time now, but a few recent… _events_ have finally forced them to actually _do_ something about it."

"Wait a second," Ichigo looked a little perplexed as he scowled, "If these are the new textbooks then why did you lug out that big book before?"

"Uh… dramatic flair?"

"… You're an idiot…"

Ichigo's face deadpanned as he wondered how someone so smart and conniving could be so damn _flakey_.

Urahara just waved off the minor insult, literally. He had found his fan in the storeroom while he was looking for the textbooks. How in the world it had ended up behind a box labeled _Prune Jellies_ he would never know.

"Anyway," the shopkeeper continued, "for now all the two of you need to do is start memorizing what's in the books. Just worry about the little spells for now and we'll worry about the big stuff after we have a feel for where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Oh, and before I forget, this should cover any expenses you may have over the next 25 days. Feel free to keep whatever is left afterwards for yourself…"

Urahara handed Ichigo a billfold and watched amusedly as Orihime leaned over and looked at the contents. The two teens' eyes widened considerably. The reaction was highly amusing.

After all, there was a _lot_ of money in that wallet.

But nowhere _near_ as much as he was going to make for this little experiment.

Ichigo almost reverently slid the billfold into the textbook he had been given. The teen had _never_ seen that many bills in one place before, except for on TV…

…Maybe he _wouldn't_ use Urahara for target practice… much.

"I believe," The shopkeeper continued, "that this concludes the evening festivities. I _would_ like the two of you to drop by next weekend so we can give you a proper lesson, but other than that I believe we are done. It was a pleasure doing business with you!"

"Y-yeah…"

The two teens thanked Urahara for having them over for diner, still slightly stunned by the last thing the shopkeeper had given them. They collected their things, Orihime even remembered to grab the groceries that she had discarded when she fainted earlier, and began making their way to the door. Ichigo hesitated for a moment before letting the blanket that he had been wearing fall off of him, leaving it piled up on the floor. He couldn't exactly take it with him, and Orihime's apartment wasn't very far away. She probably had a blanket he could borrow there, anyway.

After the pair left the Shoten, Kisuke Urahara glanced over to the side, where the discarded and forgotten body of Ichigo Kurosaki lay lifeless. The shopkeeper sighed, partially with exhaustion, and partially with relief. The hard part was done. The rest should be easy…

"Looks like it's time for me to go visit an old _friend_…"

* * *

It was dark by the time Orihime and Ichigo had managed to leave the Shoten. Ichigo lead the way to her apartment, mostly out of habit, with Orihime following a little behind and to the side. They talked a bit at first, and apparently Orihime planned on asking some of her girl-friends to come home with her after school in order to get Ichigo more settled in. This was apparently Yoruichi's idea, and even though he honestly thought it was a bad one, the Substitute Soul Reaper wasn't about to tell the Healer no. This whole situation was putting _her _out the most. If she thought she needed some help to help him, he wasn't about to argue.

Unfortunately, this meant that he was going shopping for _girl's_ cloths, with _girls._ He was _not_ looking forward to it. At the very least if he pretended to be a Tomboy, which probably wouldn't be that hard all things considered, he should be able to convince everyone to keep him away from the _really_ girly stuff. However, there was _one_ thing he wasn't going to be able to avoid.

They were going to have to buy him a new school uniform.

A _girls_ uniform.

With a _skirt._

And he was going to have to _wear_ it.

In front of _everyone._

Ichigo Kurosaki was not pleased.

* * *

The pair fell into as companionable a silence as they could manage given the bizarre situation they had found themselves in. Orihime would occasionally spare a glance in Ichigo's direction, and she couldn't help but notice that he didn't seem to have any of his usual spunk at all.

In fact, Orihime noted, Ichigo seemed downright depressed.

'Maybe he's just tired' the innocent healer thought to herself as the duo continued walking down the darkened streets. Orihime considered the idea before nodding to herself in agreement. It made perfect sense that Ichigo was tired. After all, he'd had a very big day. What, with being knocked out, turned into a girl, stuck in an energy suppressing _gigai_, and even hollowfying on top of all that!

Orihime remembered the last time she had seen Ichigo hollowfy. It had been at the end of his battle with Ulquiora. At the time, she had no idea that it wasn't Ichigo in control just then. She remembered being too distraught to feel very frightened. After all, watching the person you love have a hole the size of a watermelon punched in his chest while trying to save you can be pretty upsetting.

Orihime thought back to what had happened after that fight. Ichigo had rushed down off of the roof to help Rukia and the others fight Yammi before Captain Kuchiki and Captain Zaraki took over, sending Ichigo and Captain Unohana back to Karakura to help deal with Aizen. What happened to Ichigo after that, she didn't know. He refused to talk about it, and whenever she asked someone from the Soul Society they all said the same thing; "Working together with the Captains, the Substitute Soul Reaper was able to defeat the traitor."

The young girl had felt a little stung that Ichigo wasn't willing to tell her what had happened to Aizen, or how the fight had ended, but after a while she realized that she was just as bad. After all, she hadn't told him what had happened to her back in Hueco Mundo. Not that much had actually happened, really. She had been treated well, for the most part, and the food wasn't that bad once she had started eating it (even if she _was_ threatened for being stubborn and refusing to eat). Even after Ichigo left, nothing spectacular happened. She had finished healing Uryu, and then he was kind enough to bring her down from the roof so that she could heal their friends while the Captains continued to fight with Yammi. In the end, it was Captain Kuchiki who delivered the finishing blow to the last Espada after Captain Zaraki had let his guard down and was subsequently flung half-way across Las Noches.

Once the battle was over, Orihime healed the Captains as well, and then insisted that they go look for the Hogyoku. She told them all about her plan to reject the perilous orb out of existence, and how Aizen had shown her where he kept it. She thought for sure that the Captains would jump at the chance to retrieve and destroy such a dangerous artifact.

So when Captain Kurosutchi informed her that the Hogyoku's spiritual pressure was no longer within the confines of Los Noches, she was slightly heartbroken. She had so desperately wanted to be of _some_ use, but in the end she was just a burden again.

She had kept quiet the rest of the way back to the World of the Living. By the time they arrived the battle was already over and everyone was in the process of cleaning up the mess. Captain Unohana had let her help heal a few people, and she even got to heal Ichigo again, though his injuries were nowhere _near_ as severe as she thought they were going to be.

The Soul Society gave her a formal apology for accusing her of treachery, saying that they wanted Aizen to think they were abandoning her so he would pool his forces and attack the World of the Living, leaving Las Noches poorly defended. That way, they could send a few Captains into Hueco Mundo to clear the area and wait for Aizen to attempt a retreat so that they could catch him on both sides.

The explanation got slightly complicated after that, so Orihime stopped listening. She instead began watching Ichigo, and noticed something that worried her a bit. Despite the victory, Ichigo had seemed tense, and maybe a little upset, but he was doing a good job of hiding it. It reminded her of the day before the anniversary of his mother's death. People would clap him on the back and congratulate him for a job well done, and he would force a smile and say thanks. No one noticed how uncomfortable and fake it was.

She remembered somehow getting up the courage to wander over to Ichigo and ask him to walk her home. He agreed instantly, and looked so relieved to be able to get away from all of the noise and celebration.

He stayed over at her apartment that night, refusing to leave until he was sure everything was alright and insisting that he wouldn't get any sleep anyway. Of course, once he held still for more than a few moments he passed right out and slept the whole night through sprawled over the table. He was still out cold when Tatsuki came barging in the next morning, hugging her best friend tightly before deciding to violently wake up Ichigo and get that long-over-due explanation out of him.

Orihime giggled at that memory. Tatsuki had tried to hit Ichigo in his sleep, but just before the punch would have connected Ichigo had unconsciously grabbed the martial artist and swung her down, pinning her on the floor. Everyone was shocked as Ichigo slowly blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes, then blushed and gruffly apologized, having realized that he was holding down someone _other_ than his 'psychotic father,' as he put it.

Orihime had laughed then. Really, truly laughed for the first time in what had felt like ages. Everyone in the room quickly joined her in her mirth. Even Ichigo chuckled a bit, though whether it was from embarrassment or just raw nerves she didn't know.

She giggled to herself again then, walking down the street with Ichigo on their way back to her apartment.

* * *

While Orihime's mind wandered in the past, Ichigo's was focused on the present. More specifically, he was trying to keep his teeth from chattering. It was cold; much colder than he thought it would be. The day had been so mild that he had completely forgotten it was still _early_ _February. _About a block into the trip it occurred to Ichigo that he should have brought the stupid blanket with him _regardless_ of how weird it might have made him look.

His breath came in white puffs as he resigned himself to having to just deal with the cold until they got to Orihime's apartment. He continued walking, putting one foot in front of the other, while trying to suppress a fit of shivers by carefully repositioning his book and wrapping his arms around his torso. He _would_ have crossed them over his chest except that now… there were certain _somethings_ in the _way. _As he moved he was careful to keep from brushing up against the more… _sensitive_ parts of his new anatomy, and he _adamantly_ ignored how his shirt was rubbing up against him with every step.

Thankfully, Orihime's apartment wasn't very far. It wasn't long before Ichigo caught sight of the stairs leading up to her front door through a puff of his own breath.

At about that moment, he heard a giggle come from Orihime's direction. The gender-bent teen looked her way and realized rather quickly that she was off in her own little world. He couldn't help but be a little curious as to what she thought about when she was like that. He considered asking her what she was laughing at, but thought better of it. After all, he'd heard from Tatsuki what her imagination could be like, and it frightened him just a little.

Ichigo kept quiet as the pair reached the stairs leading up to Orihime's apartment. He stopped, and then noticed a moment later that Orihime didn't. She was giggling to herself again and, even though he felt a little bad for interrupting whatever daydream she was enjoying, Ichigo had no choice but to intercede.

* * *

"Oi, Inoue!"

The wandering princess came back to earth with a squeak of surprise. She had been so lost in her reminiscence that she had to look around a bit before she realized where she was.

"Oh… were here…"

Orihime instantly blushed with embarrassment, realizing that while she had been thinking about the past she had completely forgotten about the present. A hand found its way to the back of her head as she apologized for her spacey nature, which Ichigo simply waved off with his usual, casual gruffness.

She stood there after being reassured that everything was fine, lost again for a few moments before realizing that Ichigo was waiting for her to unlock the door. She suppressed another squeak and rushed up the steps while reaching for her key, Ichigo following a few steps behind. Orihime fumbled with the lock a few times before finally getting the key in and turned just before opening the door. Ichigo tactfully kept quiet, not wanting to upset or embarrass the girl by commenting on her nervousness.

Orihime stepped into her apartment and automatically flicked on the lights. As she held the door open, she turned around to address Ichigo Kurosaki, her new roommate.

"W-well," she began, with something between excitement and embarrassment in her voice, "it's not much, but make yourself at home."

* * *

**Hee-hee!**

**_I _****know what happened! Unfortunately all of _you_ are going to have to wait a while before you get to find out! It's already written and everything!**

…

**Well, not _all_ of it. I mean the part that gets told in _this_ story. I'll probably have to write a very long one-shot to tell the whole story of how I think the fight with Aizen will turn out. Or should turn out. I've got a couple of theories, in any case… **

**Of course, by then it will be AU anyway, so meh...**


	7. Welcome Home?

**Dear lord, this is getting long.**

**I mean, that was kinda the point, but still…**

**I just spent almost the whole day sitting here writing/typing. I haven't even turned on my DSi yet today, as of 5:30pm, which for me is downright terrifying. Especially since I have the new **_**Pokemon**_** games for crying out loud…**

**That means that right now writing for this story is more fun to me than Pokemon…**

**Yikes.**

**Anywho, for anyone that wants to know…**

**Master File Word Count: 27,217**

**Master File Page Count: 69**

**Remember, that's without authors notes.**

**Double Yikes.**

**And I still don't own anything.**

**

* * *

**

For the most part, Orihime's apartment was just as he remembered it. The giant TV-thing that the Soul Society had installed had since been taken out but that was the only difference. The shrine to her brother Sora was still in place, along with various other nick-knacks that the young lady had accumulated over the years. It was a small apartment, but it seemed like the tenant went to a lot of effort to make it as cozy as possible.

Still, Ichigo couldn't help but feel a little like he was intruding. This was Orihime's home, and even though he had been here several times before he still felt slightly out of place.

And he was still cold.

Inside the apartment the air wasn't as freezing as it was outside, but it was pretty chilly. The fact that Ichigo was already cold enough to shiver uncontrollably, despite his attempts to hide it, didn't help. The bizarre girl had quickly lead him to the small table in the living room, instructing him to make himself comfortable. At the time, Ichigo had hoped to ask Orihime for something warm to wrap up in, but the moment he was safely inside and seated she slipped into the kitchen to apparently put away her groceries.

The teen sighed to himself, wondering if his friend had noticed the cold at all. He realized that he actually didn't know how well she took to the weather. Did she like it when it was cold, or did she prefer the warmth of summer? Ichigo honestly had no idea, and couldn't help but feel a little stupid for _not_ knowing. Their little group had practically been conjoined at the hip over the last six months or so, ever since their invasion of the Soul Society.

Yet, he realized solemnly, he hardly knew anything about her. And it wasn't just _her_, either. Chad, Uryu, Rukia, Renji… all of the people he considered his closest friends, and he hardly knew them. It was the little things that he had missed. Like, what kind of food did they like, or what their favorite movies were, or what they liked to do for fun…

For that matter, what did _he_ like to do for fun?

Ichigo hated this train of thought. He had been thinking about it more and more lately, like his mind was set on repeat. Normally he would just push the thoughts aside, deeming them unimportant. It wasn't like him to sulk over nothing like that, but the thoughts kept coming back and it was becoming harder and harder to ignore them.

Thankfully, a distraction came just in time.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo looked up from the table he hadn't realized he had been studying to find Orihime watching him carefully. Whatever look she had been wearing was quickly hidden behind a concerned smile.

"Would you like some tea?"

She must have noticed the hopeful look in his eyes, because before he could actually say the word 'yes' her grin had widened as she nodded and told him that she would be right back.

It was only then as he lifted his head up to watch her go that Ichigo realized that he wasn't shivering anymore. In fact, he wasn't very cold at all. He felt something move against him as he shifted, and was shocked to find a simple white house-robe draped over his shoulders, warmed as though it had just come out of the dryer. Orihime must have put it on him when he wasn't paying attention.

Just how long _was_ he sulking, anyway?

Chastising himself for being an inconsiderate guest, Ichigo waited patiently for Orihime to return with the tea. When she did she handed him the warm beverage and gingerly sat down across from him with a cup of her own. They drank in silence for a while, Ichigo glad to have something to help warm him back up. After he finally managed to get himself to a comfortable temperature, Ichigo looked up and noticed that as Orihime sipped her tea she seemed to be staring at him for some reason, a look of confusion and contemplation on her face. The longer he watched, the more concerned he became, and eventually worry got the better of him.

"Inoue, is something wrong?"

"Huh? …Oh, no, nothing's _wrong!_ I-I was just wondering if those, uh, _clothes_ were uncomfortable, that's all..."

Ichigo suppressed a groan as he remembered the skimpy outfit that Urahara had him dressed in. It was _still _hard to breathe in the ridiculous thing. In his opinion, the only _decent_ piece of clothing he was wearing right now was the white robe Orihime had draped over his shoulders.

"W-well, yeah, actually these things _are_ uncomfortable, but I don't exactly have anything else to wear, so I'm kinda stuck with what I've got on I guess…"

"Oh… w-well, if you want… I mean I could, you know… _lend_ you… some of _my _clothes…"

"Y-your clothes?"

"W-well, I was just wondering, cause you see I wouldn't want to wear something like that because I don't think it would be very comfortable and I'd get cold, which I guess you already know about, and I wanted to know if you would like to change into something else because if it was me I'd rather wear something more comfortable instead of less comfortable and I was just wondering if you'd like to borrow something to sleep in until tomorrow when we go shopping since we can't go shopping now because everything is closed and I didn't mean to pry but I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable because then you won't be able to sleep and I'll be a bad hostess and… *mphf*…"

At this point, Ichigo realized that if he didn't stop Orihime himself she would just keep on going until she passed out from lack of oxygen. Before she could turn blue in the face, the gender-bent teen covered his friend's mouth with his hand, hoping it would quite her long enough for him to reply.

It did, as well as draw a startled blush to the healer's cheeks. Ichigo found himself blushing along with her, realizing that he had probably just invaded her personal space.

Quietly clearing his throat, the gender-bent teen decided to respond quickly before the situation got even _more_ awkward.

"Thank you for the offer, Inoue. If you have something a little more, uh… _loose_ I could borrow, I would appreciate it.

As Ichigo removed his hand from Orihime's mouth, he found her beaming back at him. She nodded once, and quickly disappeared into the adjoining room. He could hear a great deal of shuffling and some quite muttering from the other side of the door, and just as he started to wonder if he should go and help his generous friend she returned and handed over a simple blue night-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants.

"Here!" The young lady said cheerfully, "I hope these are ok."

"Yeah, uh, they should be fine."

"Great! I'm glad you think so. So… hm… uh… Oh! Right, I don't know if you remember or not, but the bathroom is right over here, s-so feel free to use it if you want to change or for… well, I guess anything else you need if for, really…"

"T-thanks, I think I'll go change now."

"Alright! I'm here if you need any help so all you've gotta do is ask and I'll be right there!"

"R-right…"

"Okay, so while you're doing _that,_ I'll get out the spare futon!"

"Uh, sure…"

Ichigo quickly disappeared into the apartment's only bathroom, if only to escape Orihime's jubilation. The girl had some impressive mood-swings, and when she was that _chipper_ around him it was hard to remember just what he was upset about.

The idea of wearing Orihime's clothes actually didn't bother the teen as much as he thought it would. Normally something like that would have embarrassed the _hell_ out of him, but after everything that had happened tonight the image his friend had of him was probably already destroyed anyway, and if he couldn't be emotionally comfortable he could at least be _physically _comfortable.

Shutting himself in, however, forced Ichigo to confront a new problem. He _really_ wanted to get out of the clothes he was in, but to do that he was going to have to _undress_ and then _redress _himself.

That meant seeing his new _female_ body, _naked_.

If Ichigo hadn't been red before, he certainly was now.

The gender-bent teen discarded the robe he brought in with him, and decided to start with the shirt, figuring to get the worst part over with. He grabbed the hem of the black garment, intending to simply wrench it up over his head, but quickly found that strategy to be impossible without tearing the shirt in two since the fabric had almost no give. Ichigo's second attempt met with more success. He drew the cloth up much more slowly, but by the time he had finally managed to wriggle his way out of the confining shirt, he had lost his nerve.

Before the garment was even half way up, the teen had clamped his eyes shut and refused to open them. Instead he patted around until he found the loaned pajama shirt, and blindly pulled it over his head. As he felt the fabric loosely cling to him, Ichigo finally let his eyes open and expelled a sigh of relief. At the very least, he could _breathe_ in this shirt.

The rest was far less traumatizing. The shirt was long enough that he really couldn't see anything even with the shorts down. Initially, the teen had almost been delighted to find that he _was_ wearing underwear beneath that tight material, even if it was of the female variety, but the more he thought about it the more disturbed he felt. After all, it was one thing to wear someone else's clothes, but it was another thing _entirely_ to wear someone else's _underwear_.

Deciding that this was a subject that he _really_ didn't want to think about, Ichigo unceremoniously yanked on the sweatpants that Orihime had lent him and absently noted that they were quite comfortable, and really _soft_…

"Kurosaki-kun, is everything alright in there?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah everything's fine."

Ichigo quickly gathered the discarded clothes, silently wondering how the _hell_ he had managed to wear something so damn _tiny_. He threw the robe back on as an afterthought and left the bathroom to find that Orihime had already finished setting up the spare futon in the living room, with a spare pillow and blanket and everything. Had he been in there that long, or was she just that quick?

"Hey, they fit!"

"Huh?"

"I got those a while back because they were so soft, but they were always a little too long for me so I had to roll them up to make them fit right. I guess your legs are a little longer than mine, huh?"

Ichigo ignored the good natured giggle and followed Orihime's gaze to the sweatpants he was wearing. Now that she mentioned it, they did fit rather well, and they were _damn_ comfortable. _Way_ better than what he had been wearing a few minutes ago. _Speaking of which…_

"Uh, Inoue, what do you want me to do with these?"

Ichigo was, of course, referring to the skimpy outfit he had just changed out of.

"Oh, you can just put them in the washroom and I'll take care of it. It's a little late for laundry, but…"

"Inoue, I don't think I'm going to actually _wear_ these again."

"You're not?"

"No"

"Well, then… what are you going to wear tomorrow?"

"Ah… I hadn't thought about that, actually."

"Hm, well if you want you can borrow something again, till we get you something of your own."

"Uh, sure… *sigh*… sorry for all the trouble…"

"Oh, no! It's not any trouble at all! To be completely honest, I'm kind of glad to have some company. It's usually just me by myself, so it's nice to have someone real to talk to."

"Oh… well, alright then."

Ichigo watched as Orihime tried her best to stifle a yawn as she wandered around aimlessly straightening things around the house. It was late, and all of the excitement had to have exhausted her, and at that though Ichigo himself noted that he was getting a little droopy as well.

"Hey Inoue?"

"Hum… yeah?"

"I think it's time for bed."

"Oh, um, I'm not that tired! I mean…"

"Inoue, you have school tomorrow."

"Oh! Right, I forgot. I guess I _should_ go to bed then… but, uh, what are _you_ going to do?"

"Me? I'll probably do the same. It's late, and I've had one _hell_ of a day…"

"*giggle* _That's _for sure!"

For once, Ichigo indulged himself in a short laugh with his healer friend before verbally nudging her into her bedroom. It certainly _had_ been one hell of a day, and was definitely going down as one of the most bizarre days of his life.

Once his generous hostess had been successfully corralled, Ichigo searched around for the switch before flicking off the lights and wandering over to the futon, careful to not kick the table accidentally. He managed to make it without injury, and the moment he laid down Ichigo realized he was _completely_ exhausted.

Within a few moments, he was sound asleep.

* * *

**Ladies and Gentlemen, we have reached a milestone!**

**That is, officially, the **_**end of day 1!**_

**This chapter was mostly just wrapping things up and getting things ready for the next chapter/day. Still, I like the idea of Ichigo chickening out at the last second like that.**

**But that's just me ^_^**

**Just so you know, I'm hoping that most days definitely _won't_**** have **_**that**_** many chapters to them, only the really important ones. Unfortunately, I've got so many of these days so gosh darn **_**filled**_** that you'd think I was playing Persona or something (which I'm known to do anyways _).**

**At the very least we'll get some more people in the next few chapters.**

**Things are about to get a little complicated. I just hope I can keep everything straight. _**

**The next chapter is actually a third of the way done, and it may be a little on the shorter side or much longer than usual, depending on whether or not I decide to combine it with the chapter after it. It all depends on whether or not I can get the two to flow together properly.**

**Well, till next time!**


	8. Day 2: Monday, February 8

**Yay for Day 2!**

**I was actually having a lot of trouble with this one. I had about a third of it written, and I was having issues trying to figure out how to write the rest. I even considered merging this chapter with what I wanted in the next chapter, but I decided against it. I'm glad I did to, because now I know some more of what needs to go into the next chapter.**

**Also, the next chapter is already half-way written.**

**Lucky!**

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 29,255**

**Master File Page Count: 75**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything.**

* * *

The grey of dawn began to filter into a small apartment, and within one of the occupants began to stir.

Orihime woke blearily, blinking away the strangest dream. She could have sworn she was just watching a pretty ballerina with bright orange hair wearing a black tutu and dancing with a green and violet Pterodactyl. The dazed girl shook the image out of her mind, trying to wake herself the rest of the way up as she gazed at the clock beside her. She had woken up a little earlier than usual today, so the alarm hadn't gone off yet. She numbly shut it off before it started ringing and lifted herself out of bed so she could start getting ready for the day.

The morning was pleasantly chill, and the cool air helped the young girl get herself moving. As she wandered around trying to gather together the pieces of her school uniform that had somehow managed to get flung about her bedroom, Orihime couldn't shake the strange feeling that she was forgetting something. Shrugging the familiar sensation off, the teen found the rest of her uniform and set it aside as her stomach made it quite clear that it was being neglected.

Deciding that she should probably get breakfast started, Orihime slipped on her blue house-robe, and found herself wondering why she had gone to bed in a shirt and pajama pants instead of her normal nightgown. As she opened the door and sluggishly padded her way across the living room, the healer's quiet steps were interrupted by a less than quiet snore.

Orihime jumped, barely suppressing a squeak of surprise. There was a stranger on the floor across the room. As she glanced towards the other side of her small dining table the building apprehension quickly melted as she remembered her house-guest, and the bizarre events that had lead to his, or perhaps _her_, presence in her apartment.

Ichigo was lying sprawled across the spare futon, one arm out and the other curled around his head, with his hair matting up against his face and the spare pillow she had lent him. Orihime absently wondered how hard it was going to be to brush that out later. Giggling at the thought of Ichigo doing battle against knots and tangles with her pink hairbrush, the cheerful girl decided to leave him to his slumbers. The Substitute Soul Reaper had nearly fallen asleep at the table the night before, although she didn't think he even noticed.

Quietly so as not to wake her exhausted friend, the young lady moved into the kitchen and silently decided to only have cereal for breakfast today. She figured that if she tried to cook something Ichigo might smell it and wake up, and after everything he had gone through lately the healer felt he deserved to sleep in.

Orihime poured herself her breakfast as quietly as possible, sprinkling some wasabi powder on top to spice up the cold meal before adding the milk. She ate eagerly, occasionally reminding herself to keep her crunching as quiet as possible.

Once she finished the cereal and drank the left over wasabi-milk, Orihime gathered her clothes and wandered into the bathroom. She closed the door, and after a slight fit of embarrassment locked it on the off chance that Ichigo woke up while she was changing. Gazing at her bathtub, Orihime danced through several shades of red before decided that she should skip the bath today, and just get dressed. Yesterday had been fairly chill, and she hadn't gotten dirty so she should be alright with just a little extra deodorant.

The healer dressed quickly, and within a few minutes she realized that she was pretty much ready for the day. Her uniform was on, her hair was brushed, and her hairpins were in place and all that was left to do was pack her lunch, grab her bag, put on her shoes, and walk out the front door.

The remaining chores were done just as quickly, and Orihime noticed that she was running a little early. _Good,_ she thought, _maybe I can talk to Tatsuki-chan before school starts._

Thinking about what she had to talk to Tatsuki about reminded the healer that she actually had one more chore to do. She quickly slipped back into her bedroom and rummaged through her clothes, looking for something that Ichigo wouldn't mind wearing. She tried to ignore the awkward blush that wanted to twinge in her cheeks as she absently wondered if he would need a change of underwear. She eventually decided to just lend him a pair of long baggy shorts with a draw string, a plain white t-shirt and a black and purple hoodie in case he got cold. She even managed to find a pair of flip-flops that had always been a little too big for her in case Ichigo needed to go outside. Hopefully he'd be okay with that.

Stacking the clothes together, Orihime pulled out her notebook and a pencil, and quickly scrawled a little note to Ichigo for when he woke up. After that, she sat everything down on the table where she was sure he would find it as soon as he got up.

Satisfied in her preparations and finally ready to leave, the young lady decided to check on Ichigo one more time before heading out. As she did, it took all of her willpower to keep down a fit of laughter. Sometime during the last of her morning preparations Ichigo had managed to kick off most of his blanket, and now had all of his limbs splayed out like a rag doll. His shirt had somehow been hiked up and now exposed half of his stomach, and his hair had begun to frizz, making it seem like he had been electrocuted.

Orihime blushed mildly, continuing to choke down her growing mirth, as she reached for the wadded blanket. Straitening it out, she carefully re-covered her gently snoring crush.

He didn't wake up, much to her delight. Orihime was beaming as she left her apartment, but before she could close and lock the door she spared one last glance inside. Her eyes softened, and she whispered quietly.

"Kurosaki-kun, have a good day."

She left then, the door closed and locked. If, on the way to school, anyone noticed her small blush or the near constant stream of giggles, they didn't say anything.

* * *

Orihime got to school a little earlier than she normally does, and immediately began searching for her best friend.

But she couldn't seem to find her.

_Come on, Tatsuki-chan… Where are you?_

That mantra kept chanting through the healer's head as she impatiently waited for her friend to show up. Unfortunately, it was half-way through first period before Tatsuki Arisawa made her appearance. Orihime watched with worry as her best friend was grilled by the teacher, a homely lady that for some reason didn't like the martial artist. Apparently the instructor didn't care for Tatsuki's excuse of 'my alarm clock broke,' and decided to have the teen make up the half-hour she missed afterschool.

Orihime could practically see steam coming out of her friend's ears, but she somehow kept her temper in check. This teacher liked to pick on her for some reason though the healer had no idea why. When Tatsuki was finally allowed to take her seat she was livid, and not really in the mood for conversation.

The rest of the class passed, but Tatsuki's ire didn't. It wasn't until around lunch time that Orihime managed to get her friend to talk to her, and even then she just seemed to want to rant. Eventually, though, the martial artist calmed down enough to listen to her friend's request as they ate.

"Shopping?"

"Yup."

"For your cousin?"

"T-that's right."

Orihime had decided to go with the idea that Kisuke Urahara had the night before. It was easier than trying to come up with something herself, and even though she hated the thought of lying to her best friend, she knew it was for a good cause.

"Well, I don't mind Orihime, I need to get a new alarm clock anyway, but you're gonna have to wait for me to finish with my _punishment _for being late."

"That really wasn't fair of her…"

"No kidding. She thinks I'm not _girly_ enough, so she tries to find every reason possible to make my life miserable. I don't know how Ichigo deals with this crap."

"K-kurosaki-kun?"

"Yeah, that idiot. Everyone always gives him crap over stuff like that… Speaking of which, did you notice that he wasn't here today?"

"Oh!? Uh… y-yeah, I noticed!"

"Wonder what kind of trouble the idiot's gotten himself into this time…"

"I-I'm sure i-it's nothing t-too bad."

"Che… Yeah right."

"Um, Tatsuki-chan? A-are you still mad at him?"

"Eh, not really. I was pretty pissed for a while there, but I've gotten over it. I guess I'm just a little hurt that he didn't tell me what was going on sooner. He can be a real jerk sometimes."

"B-but it's not really his fault! I mean, he d-didn't _know _you could see what was going on, and he didn't have a whole lot of time to think about it! H-he was busy doing h-his superhero thing! A-and rescuing damsels in distress! And defeating evil sorcerers! And…"

"Okay, okay! I get it, sheesh. Heh, I wonder what Ichigo would say if he heard you call him a _superhero_…"

"T-Tatsuki-chan! Please…"

"I know, I know. I won't tell him."

"T-thank you."

"Alright. What about this cousin of yours?"

"Eh? W-what about h-her?"

"Well, what's she like?"

"Uh, w-well… h-she's taller than me. H-her hair is brighter than mine, too. A-and s-she looks tough, b-but s-she's pretty nice once you get to know h-her."

"Orihime… are you alright?"

"W-what? Oh, yes, I'm fine! I-I'm j-just… worried! Yes! I'm worried about… how my _c-cousin _is doing! A-and I should probably tell her that… uh… w-we're g-going to be a little late!"

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"Uh… I… I'll call her!"

"With what?"

"Um… well… Y-you have a cell-phone, right Tatsuki-chan?"

"Well, yeah."

"Um, could you call my house for me and let me talk to the person that answers?"

"Uh, sure, but why?"

"W-well, you see my, uh, _cousin_ is expecting me home soon and… um… I… told, uh… _her_ about how I was going to ask you to go shopping with us today since she doesn't have any clothes of her own… oh but she has all the money to buy some! And we _need_ to get her some but since you have to stay after class a bit for being late earlier I should _definitely_ call and tell him-ah-_her _not to worry! Yes, I need to tell _her _not to worry and that we'll be a little late."

"Okaaay… uh, Orihime, why are you so flustered?"

"Eh?!"

_Uh-oh…_

"You've been acting really weird and fidgety all day to day, and then you tell me about this distant relative of yours that is staying with you for a while and I can't help but feel like something fishy is going on."

"Uh, fishy?"

"You know, suspicious. Are you sure this person isn't just trying to take advantage of you or something?"

"N-no! Of course h-_she_ isn't! _She_ would never do something like that!"

_Not good…_

"Well, if that's not it, they why are you acting all _flustered_?"

"I-I'm n-n-not _f-flustered!"_

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Ah…"

_Come on… think of something…_

"Orihime. Tell me what it is that's got you so bothered."

"W-well…"

In that moment, Orihime almost considered telling her best friend _exactly_ what happened last night. All of it, right down to Ichigo borrowing her clothes. She shook off the idea, knowing that it wouldn't do any good anyway. Instead, she tried to think of something that would satisfy Tatsuki's defensive nature. Something that she would _believe _bothered her...

_Aha!_

She had it.

"Well, you see, it's a little… uh… awkward…"

"What is? Did she do something to you?!"

"N-no! She didn't do anything! It's just… well, she kind of… has the s-same name as K-kurosaki-kun…"

"… Ichigo?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Huh."

Orihime held her breath as she watched Tatsuki examine her argument. It was actually true that the idea of calling Ichigo by his first name was rather nerve racking for the healer, and she dearly hoped that Tatsuki wouldn't see right through her little half-truth.

Eventually, Tatsuki nodded, and Orihime began breathing again.

"Yeah," her friend said in a playful voice, "I could see how that would be awkward"

Orihime wondered at the oddly mischievous look in her friend's eye as she watched Tatsuki pull out her cell phone, press a single number, and hit the green button at the top.

"Here."

She handed it over then, and Orihime had to be careful not to drop it. She held the device to her ear and marveled at how easy it was to call someone with one of these things. She wouldn't mind having one herself if she could just figure out how to use it without accidentally breaking something.

The phone rang for a little while, and Orihime began to wonder if Ichigo would even pick up. As she mused about all the different things he could be doing right now, some good and some not so good, she almost began to panic. Then the ringing cut out and there was a voice on the other side.

"_Uh, I-Inoue Residence?"_

"H-hi, I-Ichigo!"

"_I-Ino… ah, O-Orihime?"_

"Yes! You got it right on the first guess!"

"_Uh, well you're kind of the only person that knows I'm here…"_

"Oh, right! I forgot…"

"_So… Is something wrong?"_

"Ah, no! Well, not exactly. You see, Tatsuki-chan came in late today, so the teacher is making her stay afterschool to make up for the time she missed. It isn't that long, so I thought I'd stay here with her so we could pick you up from the apartment together. I-Is that alright?"

"_Huh? Sure, I mean… If that's what you want to do then that's fine. I'll survive on my own for a little while longer."_

"A-are you sure?"

"_Yes, I'm sure."_

"Alright, as long as you'll be okay. Did you get my note?"

"_Heh, yeah."_

"Did you find the food okay?"

"_Yeah. I found some instant noodles. I'm actually making some right now."_

"Oh, good! I was a little worried…"

"_Orihime, I'm a big boy. I can manage on my own if I have to."_

"Right!"

Orihime giggled at Ichigo's tone, finding his 'big boy' voice highly amusing. After a few good natured chuckles she said her goodbyes and handed the phone over to Tatsuki so she could hang it up. Orihime honestly didn't trust herself with high-tech devices. They were so expensive and she was always afraid she was going to _break _them.

"So how'd it go?"

"Oh! Um, everything's fine. S-she said she didn't mind waiting."

"Good. Well…"

At about that moment, the bell for the end of class rang. Orihime watched as Tatsuki stopped saying whatever she was about to say, shrugging her shoulders as though it wasn't very important. She motioned for Orihime to follow her back to class, which the healer eagerly obliged.

* * *

**Tatsuki is going to be showing up a **_**lot**_**.**

**I'm still not sure how that happened...**

**Aaaaanyway....**

**If you're wondering what Ichigo's been up to all day, we'll get to find out in the next installment!**

**Although… it's not so fluffy…**

**_**

**Later!**


	9. The Cold

**Oh boy…**

**The most recent manga chapter (397, as I write this) has just thrown one **_**hell**_** of a wrench into some of my later chapters. I had contemplated waiting for the next chapter to see where Kubo was going, but I got assaulted by a freight-train's worth of plot bunnies, and I just **_**had **_**to keep going. In light of recent revelations, I re-examined a few things, decided to re-write a few later chapters and I managed to write something absolutely **_**amazing**_**. So, as of right now, I'm officially labeling this story 100 percent AU. I **_**may**_** try to wiggle some things in to keep things as canon as possible, but for the most part I'm doing things my way from now on.**

**And just so you know, I can't even properly **_**proofread **_**that damn chapter now. I keep **_**crying damnit**_**! :_:**

…

**Yes, I made myself cry.**

**No, I'm not afraid to admit it.**

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 33,765**

**Master File Page Count: 87**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

…

… _Bu-bump, Bu-bump…_

…

_It was cold. Everything was cold. The wind, his skin, the sheen of blood, the center of his soul. _

_All, cold._

_And he didn't care._

…

… _Bu-bump, Bu-bump…_

…

_This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Sword to Sword, heartbeat to heartbeat. _

_Not like this._

_And he didn't care._

…

… _Bu-bump, Bu-bump…_

…

_Heat in his hand. Searing. Pounding. Slowing. A voice on the wind he couldn't hear._

_Last words, last breath._

_And he didn't care._

…

… _Bu-bump…_

…

_He opened his mouth, but no words came. Only a growl; low, cold, and murderous._

_Words were beyond him._

_And he didn't care._

_He squeezed_

…

…_ silence…_

…

* * *

Ichigo woke with a start, mid-morning light surrounding him.

It was _that_ nightmare again.

He kept his eyes closed, taking deep, steady breaths to calm his hammering heart and ease his shaking nerves.

It wasn't the most frightening nightmare he'd ever had. That _honor_ belonged to Grand Fisher, damn his hollow soul. But still, this one was pretty bad.

Mostly because it was _real_.

He crushed that thought, and the nightmare with it. Crushed it and flung it into the deepest recesses of his mind, forcing himself to forget it had ever happened. It wasn't important any more, and what's done is done. He can't change the past.

And even if he could, he wasn't sure he'd want to.

Ichigo lay back onto his borrowed futon and cracked open his eyes to gaze into the sunlight. Looking around, he realized that he wasn't in his bedroom. This startled him a bit at first, but he calmed as soon as remembered that he was in Inoue's apartment. He searched the area with his senses, despite what people say he was actually pretty good if he knew what he was looking for, and could tell right away that his generous friend wasn't in the apartment. He figured she went to school like she said she would, and was even courteous enough not to wake him. How long had he slept, anyway? He didn't know, and he didn't have the energy to search for a clock to find out. The sun was climbing steadily, but it wasn't all that high in the sky just yet, so he figured it must still be a few hours before noon.

After that last coherent thought the rest became a mild blur. Memories of yesterday began filtering in, but Ichigo pushed them aside. He could remember later. His body was still numb from sleep, and he had finally managed to get comfortable enough under the blankets to rest, his previous nightmare forgotten. Right now he was still tired, and he had no reason to get up just yet. Maybe, just this once, he would indulge himself.

Hadn't he earned that much?

* * *

The feeling of hard concrete on his back destroyed any thoughts of lazing about. In an instant Ichigo was up on his feet, eyes open and wide awake.

He was in his inner world. Blue skies and sideways buildings as far as the eye could see. The first thing he noticed was that he felt… _normal. _The teen reflexively looked down, and was absolutely ecstatic to find that he _was _normal. Short hair, no breasts, and all of the _pieces _were in their proper places. Apparently, whatever Urahara had done to him was only skin deep, because here within his soul he was completely unchanged.

That thought sobered him, however. The Substitute Soul Reaper's inner world was still a bit of a mystery to him. Ichigo never came here on his own, and in actuality he didn't know _how_. It was just another one of those great _Soul Reaper Mysteries_ that no one felt like explaining because they just _assumed_ that _everyone_ already _knew_ how it worked. As a matter of fact, with maybe only one or two exceptions, the only time Ichigo ever really visited this place was when…

"Ichigo."

… Zangetsu had a point to make.

Ichigo gazed over and found that Zangetsu was indeed waiting for him. The teen looked questioningly at the Zanpaktou spirit, wondering why in the _world _he had brought him here. After a few moments of confused and uncomfortable silence, Ichigo's impatience got the better of him.

"What's wrong?"

"You can't keep avoiding it."

The teen started for a moment, wondering what Zangetsu meant. The spirit must have sensed his confusion, because he merely nodded his head towards the buildings nearest to them. Ichigo paused, scanning the area and wondering what had ruffled Zangetsu's feathers enough to actually _drag_ him here.

It took a couple of seconds to realize what he was trying to point out. One of the buildings had changed color, darkening subtly, while a few of the buildings around it seemed to have scorch marks littering the area.

"Is that…"

Ichigo gestured at the discolored building, swallowing hard and wondering if he should consider panicking.

"It is, but it is not the problem."

Relief washed over Ichigo, quickly replaced by confusion. If _that_ wasn't the problem, then what was?

"The burns."

Zangetsu's answer to his master's unasked question only piqued the substitute's curiosity further.

"What caused them?"

"Touch one."

Ichigo was leery of the idea, but the look on Zangetsu's face was as unreadable as ever. The Zanpaktou wasn't the kind to kid around about anything though, and the teen had learned a long time ago that if he felt the need to actually _tell_ Ichigo to do something, he better damn well do it.

The nearest scorch mark was two buildings down from him, as best he could tell. A single flash-step brought him within a few feet, the wary teen figuring he should still approach cautiously despite being in his inner world.

When he was close enough, Ichigo kneeled down and slowly let his fingers brush over the burnt concrete. The effect was instantaneous. He was suddenly filled with a harsh, cold malice. It didn't feel _right_, and yet it was horribly _familiar_. It was a pain he _knew…_

Ichigo's hand quickly jumped from the blackened masonry as he fell back wide eyed. His breathing had become ragged and the teen had to fight to regain control of his heart and lungs.

Memories began filtering in. Memories he wanted to suppress, to ignore, to forget _entirely_. The young Soul Reaper closed his eyes, determined to bring himself back under control, to crush and throw away that _entire_ incident.

"Stop."

Ichigo looked up to find Zangetsu standing near him, a look that passed for sympathy barely gracing his face.

"This is a problem," The spirit began in his softest monotone, "you cannot solve on your own. Its root lies in others, and only in others shall a solution be found. Forcing the memories down will not make them fade. It only compresses them, so that when they resurface they are that much stronger."

As Ichigo finally managed to regain control over his breathing he felt the pit fall out of his stomach.

"The nightmares…"

"Precisely."

"And… you're sure it has nothing to do with…"

"I am certain."

Icihgo swallowed nervously. Gazing around while trying to collect his thoughts, he couldn't help but wonder just how _many_ of those scorch marks were in here. He looked, and didn't like what he saw.

"What… should I _do_ about it?"

"That," Zangetsu replied with a hint of melancholy, "is something only you can decide. All I can say is this: You are _not _alone. If, in a time of need, your own strength is not enough, do not be afraid to rely on the strength of others. Remember that the most difficult battles are the ones not fought with swords, where wounds shed only blood."

"R-right…"

Zangetsu nodded, indicating his satisfaction with the conversation. Ichigo sat for a while, contemplating this new development and wondering why everything always had to become so much more _complicated_.

Sighing, the teen stood before nodding to Zangetsu, indicating that he was leaving. The Zanpaktou merely hummed his assent as Ichigo began rushing back to consciousness. He may not know how to get _into_ his inner world…

…but he sure as hell knew how to get _out._

* * *

**I've decided to have this be its own chapter even though it's a little short because it's heavier than most. It was originally going to be about half of one chapter, but the next scene is much lighter, and I didn't want them to clash.**

**The truth is I have some trouble doing angst. I'm by nature a happy person, but on occasion I get struck by genius. There have been several occasions where I've written something that makes me bawl my eyes out, so if you're the emotional type be prepared for later on in the story.**

**And now… for something completely different!**

**(Thank you, Monty Python ^_^)**

**I recently got to see Wicked while it was playing in San Francisco, and I must say that it was **_**EPIC**_**! I **_**absolutely**__**loved it! **_**I laughed, I cried, and I bought a CD, bag, keychain, and poster. **

**Afterwards we got lost trying to find this restaurant called Nirvana and ended up walking like 13 blocks (no exaggeration) to get there. I hadn't worn the best of shoes, so my feet were **_**killing me**_** by the time we finally made it. **

**But oh god was it worth it. **

**I had a Tofu Ramen dish that was absolutely to **_**die **_**for. The bowl was huge, the spinach and tofu were wonderful, and the broth made me just about **_**lose my mind**_**. Needless to say, I ate as much of it as my stomach could hold, which can be quite a bit if I put my mind to it.**

**When we got home I examined my feet and I had around eight blisters (I kid you not) ranging in size from slightly annoying to **_**damn that hurts!**_** A needle, some rubbing alcohol and a few Band-Aid's later and I could shamble around the house again. **

**Now, if I could just get my **_**back**_** to stop hurting…**


	10. Alone

**Well, the good news is my back stopped hurting (mostly).**

**The bad news is I've been off my game for a while now. Thankfully, I'm getting over it and have started writing again. I've managed to flesh out a few gems for later on, but for now you'll just have to be satisfied with this longer-than-normal chapter.**

**And as to the reason why it took so long… well…**

**I kinda… might have… sorta… started another project.**

**And happy it is not.**

**It's another Bleach Fanfic, and much shorter than this one (which isn't saying much, but around 20 chapters) There's a lot of build-up that all culminates in the last few chapters, but the plot is a little complicated so it'll be hard to write. I'm actually kinda proud of the concept though, because I think it fits well with the way Bleach deals with tragedy in the storytelling.**

**I'm thinking of calling it **_**His Wish, Fulfilled.**_

**So, keep an eye out for it.**

**On an unrelated note, I read the new Dresden Files book, Changes, and I have one thing to say.**

**Jim Butcher is officially treading on **_**very thin ice.**_

**The next book better fix it. Period.**

**If you've read it, you know what I'm talking about.**

**That ending was total BS.**

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 38,273**

**Master File Page Count: 95**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

Ichigo's eyes shot open, and were quickly covered by his hands as they tried to ignore the thundering beat of his pulse in his ears and rub the unpleasant memories away. Being brought back down to earth by Zangetsu was always a harrowing experience, but for some reason this time it was different. Before, the Zanpaktou spirit had only called his master when there was a fight going on; where immediate action was needed in order to save his life. This was the first time his sword had spoken to him when battle had been neither joined nor expected.

The truth was that Ichigo just didn't understand Zangetsu very well. Sure they got along, and the substitute trusted his sword completely, but there were some things that Ichigo just didn't get. Zangetsu was enigmatic and never said any more than he felt was absolutely necessary. For some reason the melancholy spirit always refused to tell Ichigo what the problem was _directly_, instead forcibly nudging him along until the teen figured it out himself. He didn't know if all Zanpaktou were that cryptic, or if it was just his, but it was an annoying habit that the substitute wasn't quite sure how to deal with.

As Ichigo pondered the nature of his moody Zanpaktou, his body began to quiver mildly with unspent adrenalin as he forcibly brought his heart rate back down to a manageable level. It was around this time that Ichigo noticed how his shirt was sticking to his skin as he felt the bite of his own sweat cooling in the chill air. He didn't need to look to know that he was probably a few teaspoons shy of drenched, especially after both the Nightmare and his little chat. The teen went through the familiar motion of plunging his fingers into his hair, half of habit and half just to see how dirty it felt since he didn't know how long it had been since the _gigai_ he was in had last taken a shower. A groan of irritation filled the quiet room as Ichigo realized that the sweat had soaked itself into the orange strands that were quickly on their way to becoming grungy. The teen rubbed his hairline one more time before habitually letting his fingers slip their way through the rest of his locks.

Or, at least, he tried to.

At about the point where his hair would normally end and his hands come free, there was instead a sharp pain in his scalp as his fingers got caught in a few of the larger knots that had managed to tangled the orange strands as he slept. The gender-bent teen quickly removed his hands from the strangling mass, and the previous groan was elevated to a full blown growl. His hair, which was nearly _four times_ as long as it _should_ be, was hopelessly matted.

This was just not his day.

To make matters worse Ichigo suddenly felt a familiar pang in his abdomen, one normally associated with a quick trip to the bathroom. With a disgruntled grunt, Ichigo tossed off his blanket and sat up. Lying about in bed didn't seem quite as luxurious as it had a few minutes ago, and now that he was moving he realized that he really needed to relieve himself. The teen quickly extracted his new frame from the futon and meandered towards the nearest toilet, both his mind and muscles sluggish and barely responsive. Once there Ichigo endured only a moment of aprehension before taking care of business. He quickly realized that going to the bathroom wasn't nearly as different or strange as he thought it was going to be. He just had to sit down and his body and gravity did the rest.

Once he finished his business and washed his hands Ichigo wandered back into the living room. As he ambled by, the house-guest noticed some clothes on the table and a piece of paper that wasn't there the night before. Curious, the teen scooped up the paper and read it as he wandered aimlessly through the apartment.

It was a note from Orihime.

_Dear Kurosaki-kun:_

_Sorry for not waking you this morning, but you seemed really tired last night, so I figured you should sleep in since you don't have to go to school today. There's food in the kitchen, so feel free to make yourself whatever you want. If you want to cook there are clean pots and pans in the cupboard next to the sink, or if you don't I think there are some instant noodles in the pantry._

_I got out some clothes that you can borrow for today and set them on the table next to this note. Feel free to use the bath if you want to get cleaned up. There are clean towels in the laundry room and the shampoo and conditioner are under the bathroom sink. If I might make a suggestion, it's easier to get the knots out if you brush your hair while the conditioner is still in. There's a hairbrush on the sink in the bathroom that you can use if you want._

_I'm going to ask Tatsuki to come shopping with us today like we discussed. I'm going to go with Urahara's idea from yesterday and tell her that you're my cousin. The only problem is that since we're supposed to be related now we have to have the same last name, so I think we should call each other by our first names for now, since I can't exactly call you Inoue-kun, now can I?_

_Bye, and have a good day!_

_Orihime Inoue_

After finishing the letter the teen paused for a moment, thoughts trying to congeal in the murk that was his mind at the moment. He turned his head to the side to look at the clothes Orihime had left out for him, and suddenly came to an embarrassing conclusion. He was covered in quickly drying sweat, dirty, and not in any shape to even entertain friends, let alone go out in public.

He needed to get clean.

The more he thought about it, the more disturbed he became. His body was undeniably _female_, but on the _inside_ he was still male, and still himself. The mere _thought_ of seeing _herself_ naked made his modest mind recoil and his face flush. Sure, he'd seen a woman naked before, but that wasn't really by choice. And even then, it had only been for a few seconds. This would be something entirely different. He was going to have to _clean_ this female body of his. That meant not only would he have to look at it, he would have to _touch _it, and while it was _wet_ no less.

The longer he thought about it, the more of a problem he realized this was going to be. He couldn't spend the next month completely avoiding it. Last night he had tried to confront the issue, but chickened out. Ichigo knew he didn't have that luxury today. He had to be able to look at himself long enough to get clean and dressed. The moment he realized this, a horrible little thought snuck into his mind.

_I'm alone._

The teen irrationally looked around the room, almost checking to make sure that he really was by himself before making a decision. Once he had, he quickly gathered up the clothes, retrieved a towel and retreated to the bathroom. He knew what he had to do. The mere _idea _had his stomach twitching in a horrible way.

He had to desensitize himself.

He wasn't a pervert, but he just couldn't _function_ like this. From the first moment that he realized he had been turned into a _girl_ Ichigo had been every shade of pink he could think of, and a whole _day_ hadn't even passed yet_._ And this was only the beginning. He had to go shopping for clothes later on today. He had to go to _school_ later on this week. He couldn't afford to be so damn _shy_.

He had to deal with it, _now._

It was the perfect opportunity, really. Orihime was at school, so he was alone in the apartment. If he did this right he could start getting used to his new anatomy _now_, while she was gone, and his friend wouldn't have to know. The last thing he wanted was to bother the girl _more_. Dealing with him like this was bad enough.

It was with this mindset that Ichigo locked himself in the bathroom. He took a look at the tub and thought. Orihime had a removable shower head, so if he wanted he could take a shower, but the ache in his muscles begged him not to. He didn't normally indulge in baths, mostly because the bathroom at home was _not_ safe. The last time he tried to take a leisurely soak his father had come in and dumped a bucket of cold water on his head. Needless to say, the teen was _not_ happy with the old man that day.

As Ichigo continued debating, that same little, horrible idea came back.

_I'm alone._

Bath it was, then.

The gender-bent teen quickly set everything down before searching through the bathroom for the various items from Orihime's letter. He found them quickly enough, sparing only a moment to scowl at the pink hairbrush before placing it and the bottles within easy reach from the tub. After that was done, the teen quickly found the plunger and started the water. Once it started warming he plugged up the hole and stood back, taking a deep, steadying breath before doing what he couldn't do the night before.

He gently, deliberately, lifted his borrowed shirt up and off, letting the sweat-soaked garment pool on the floor. Despite himself, Ichigo had instinctively snapped his eyes closed. After a few moments of rationalization and steady breathing, the gender-bent teen allowed his eyelids to slowly lift.

His reaction surprised himself.

The substitute expected his face to flame up, his nose to start bleeding, to faint on the spot, or any number of _other_ clichés that usually go hand in hand with this sort of thing. Instead Ichigo found himself considering things a little more analytically. Sure he was still embarrassed, and definitely blushing, but being alone and in a controlled setting made it easier. He was careful to keep his back to the bathroom's mirror, rationalizing that seeing himself in a mirror would be no different than seeing a _real_ woman naked, which was more than his fragile male mind could handle at the moment.

Instead he took a few steps towards the tub and slowly looked down. The first thing that caught the teen's attention was, of course, the breasts. He felt his mouth go dry as he noted how they were the same uniform tan as the rest of his upper body and seemed to _wiggle _every time he moved. The blush on his face stayed a mid to deep red as he curiously poked the side of the left breast, idly noting that it wiggled back into place rather quickly. Modesty got the better of the teen, however, as he disturbingly noted that what he was doing right now could be considered the equivalent of prodding one of his testicles were he his proper gender.

The thought sent a shiver of disgust through the teen's body, forcing him to quickly look away and observe other things. He noted that he was still tall, and after some minor consideration concluded that he had an athletic build like Tatsuki, if a little more heavily muscled. That was probably a good thing. If he was clever he could pass himself off as a martial arts buff, like her. That way, people might not mind if he acted more masculine, and it would give him an excuse for being a little rough around the edges when it came to… _girly _things_._

At around that thought, Ichigo checked the tub and decided that the water had reached a suitable level for taking a bath. He quickly shut the faucet off before removing the rest of his clothes, adamantly telling himself that his waist was as far south as he was going to examine. Getting used to the breasts was a necessity, but the nether region absolutely was _not._

Pushing the thought aside, Ichigo climbed into the tub and was instantly glad he had decided to take a bath over a shower. The teen couldn't suppress the groan of relief that filled the room as the heat from the water began to seep into his stiff muscles. He had to bend his knees to slip all the way down into the water, but his shoulders surely appreciated the effort as his tense body finally began to relax.

Ichigo allowed himself a few moments to enjoy the bath, letting much of what had happened earlier slip into the back of his mind. In his current state there was little if anything he could do about his nightmare or Zangetsu's ever cryptic advice. The Substitute decided that rather than worrying about something he had no way of dealing with yet, he should instead concentrate on the problems he could manage right _now_.

Like his _hair._

Ichigo did as Orihime's note suggested. He first used the shampoo, which was really just an inexpensive brand with a vanilla scent. Vanilla really wasn't his style, but then again neither was hair long enough to have knots. As the teen cleaned his now offensively long locks, Ichigo started to wonder if maybe he was just making the problem worse as his fingers continued to get caught in the tangled strands.

Feeling like he'd done enough damage, the gender-bent teen rinsed out the fragrant suds before reaching for the conditioner. He rolled the bottle over in his hands, slightly apprehensive about what to do next. Shampoo he understood, but Ichigo had never needed to use _conditioner_ before, and wasn't quite sure how it was supposed to help. When wracking his brain got him nowhere, the teen turned the bottle over one more time before doing something that he would probably be laughed at for if anyone found out.

He read the instructions.

Apparently, conditioner was pretty straightforward. Apply, lather, wait a few minutes, then rinse. After a slight pause, the teen merely shrugged his shoulders and began following instructions. How in the world this stuff was supposed to make untangling the mop on his head currently posing as hair any easier he didn't know, but when Ichigo reached the waiting phase he took the hairbrush he'd found and got to work anyways.

Evidentially, Orihime knew what she was talking about, because in a few minutes Ichigo had his hair obeying him again, and with far less pain than he thought there would be. Only three strands were knotted beyond all redemption and had to be broken. Other than that the rest of his hair came free easily, although his scalp was tingling from the effort.

Ichigo quickly finished scrubbing himself, careful to avoid any sensitive areas, before rinsing out the conditioner. Once he was satisfied with his cleanliness, and the water had cooled to a less than ideal temperature, the gender-bent teen pulled the plug and let the murky water drain away as he himself exited the bath. While patting himself dry with the towel, careful not to knot his hair again, Ichigo realized with mild disgust that he didn't have a clean pair of underwear. After a sigh the teen shrugged it off and started getting dressed. He would just have to deal with dirty undies today since there was no way in _hell_ he was borrowing them. Orihime was a great friend, but that was asking _way _too much of her. Wearing someone else's panties is just… _wrong._

As Ichigo finished dressing himself his stomach made its opinion known rather vocally for the second time in as many days. The teen sent a scathing scowl down to his abdomen before abandoning the bathroom in favor of the kitchen. He didn't want to cook. _God,_ he didn't want to cook, but if he could locate the instant noodles mentioned in the note then he wouldn't have to. All he had to do was find them. After about five minutes and some ravenous ransacking Ichigo managed to find a few individual serving instant noodle cups and immediately set a teakettle to boiling.

In a few minutes the apartment was filled with a shrill whistle that was quickly joined by a second, yet equally annoying sound.

A telephone ring.

Ichigo glanced at the phone as he removed the kettle from the fire and started filling one of the cups, wondering if he should answer. As far as he knew the only people aware of him staying here were Urahara, Yoruichi, and Orihime herself. Urahara might call, but normally he'd just send Yoruichi to come get him if it was actually important. Yoruichi herself would probably just show up as a cat if she wanted to chat, so that left Orihime, but she should be in class.

As the teen finished and set the kettle back on the stove the phone kept ringing, and Ichigo realized that whoever was calling either had to know that someone was home or was _really_ desperate to talk if they stayed on the line that long. Ichigo walked over to the receiver and stared at it for a few moments before lifting it off the hook and answering. He couldn't be sure who was on the other line, but if he just acted like he belonged there it should be fine, right?

"Uh, I-Inoue Residence?"

"_H-hi, I-Ichigo!"_

He knew that voice…

"I-Ino… ah, O-Orihime?"

"_Yes! You got it right on the first guess!"_

"Uh, well you're kind of the only person that knows I'm here…"

"_Oh, right! I forgot…"_

"So… Is something wrong?"

"_Ah, no! Well, not exactly. You see, Tatsuki-chan came in late today, so the teacher is making her stay afterschool to make up for the time she missed. It isn't that long, so I thought I'd stay here with her so we could pick you up from the apartment together. I-Is that alright?"_

"Huh? Sure, I mean… If that's what you want to do then that's fine. I'll survive on my own for a little while longer."

"_A-are you sure?"_

"Yes, I'm sure."

"_Alright, as long as you'll be okay. Did you get my note?"_

"Heh, yeah."

"_Did you find the food okay?"_

"Yeah. I found some instant noodles. I'm actually making some right now."

"_Oh, good! I was a little worried…"_

"Orihime, I'm a big boy. I can manage on my own if I have to."

"_Right!"_

Ichigo heard Orihime's giggle, and couldn't help but indulge in a little twinge of a smile. Say what you will about the girl's taste in food or extravagant imagination, but there is no denying that her joy was infectious. After they finished their chat and said their goodbyes Ichigo hung up the phone, and found himself in a slightly better mood than he was a few minutes ago.

The teen wandered back to the kitchen, where his noodles had finished cooking. He rummaged through a few drawers until he managed to find a pair of chop sticks, and then took his meal and utensils to the table. He was hungry, and there was food to be eaten. The meal vanished quickly, although Ichigo did force himself to slow down and eat like a normal person rather than wolf it down like he had last night. Once he was finished, the teen looked around and realized that the room was a bit of a mess.

Responsibility laced with a bit of guilt got the better of him as Ichigo decided to straighten up. Mostly he just cleaned up after himself. He picked up after his lunch, folded his blanket and futon, gathered the pajamas he'd borrowed as well as the towel and moved them to the laundry basket, and put various things back where he had found them. Once that was done and his conscience satiated, Ichigo sat back down to take a break, and after checking the clock he'd noticed while cleaning up he realized that it wasn't even 1 PM.

As Ichigo sat back and wondered what he should do with the next few hours, his gaze eventually found its way to the textbook he'd been given the night before. It was on the table where he'd left it, although he only vaguely remembered putting it there. The cover was just a generic light brown, but he noticed that there were no words on the binding to indicate what the book contained.

Sitting forward, Ichigo picked the text up, noticing the unnatural bulge between the pages and remembering the wallet he had stuck inside. The teen gingerly opened the book and removed the foreign object, wondering whether he should start reading the book, or count the money he'd been given. As he glanced between the two distractions in his hands, Ichigo looked up at the clock one more time before shrugging his shoulders and setting the book down.

After all, it shouldn't take that long to count all of the bills.

He could study after.

* * *

***sigh*… I enjoy doing this too much.**

… **Which reminds me…**

***SPOILERS***

**Did anyone else get giddy with excitement when the saw chAngE, the new opening for the Anime? I sure did. I liked the Zanpaktuo arc as much as the next person, but it's about time they got back to the meat and potatoes of the series. I can not **_**wait**_** to see how they handle Ichigo's fight with Ulquiorra. **_**God**_**, I hope they don't censor it. Seriously, it just wouldn't be the same without Ichigo getting pwned followed by Hollow Ichigo returning said pwnage ten-fold. They can pull that crap with Rangiku and Allon, but this is a major plot point. If they screw with it, I'm gonna be pissed.**

***END SPIOLERS***

**Well, now that my little fangirl rant is over I think I'm gonna try to go to bed.**

**I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and the interesting imagery I left you with. Remember, I'm trying to keep this as tasteful as possible.**

**Later ~**


	11. Martial Artists and Measuremens

**Finally. **_**God,**_** this chapter took forever. I actually had to cannibalize a different chapter, omitting an entire seen later on to finish it. I think it was worth it, though, because this came out rather well. If anyone's wondering why Ichigo is still referred to as a **_**he**_**, it's because he is. His gender may have changed, but on the inside he's still a guy.**

**It's gonna be really important later on.**

_**Trust me.**_

**And as to why this took so long, well…**

… **I blame David Tennant…**

… **And Christopher Eccleston…**

… **And Matt Smith….**

… **But mostly David Tennant.**

**If you know what I'm talking about, BRAVO! You are officially my friend.**

**We bought all four seasons and all the specials, and we spent the last few weeks watching them.**

**Totally worth it.**

**And if you **_**don't**_** know what I'm talking about…**

**What's wrong with you? Go to Google, find out what I'm talking about, and then watch it. Seriously. It's the only series that has me as fan-girl giddy as Bleach.**

**You'll laugh.**

**You'll cry.**

**You'll want your own Sonic Screwdriver.**

**Speaking of which…**

**I wish mine would get here.**

**:_:**

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 47,763**

**Master File Page Count: 118**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

**

* * *

**

Ichigo had long since finished counting the money Urahara had given him, twice, and had moved on to curiously reading and examining the first few pages of his Kidou text-book when he heard two familiar voices coming from outside. The teen looked up from his studies, which were actually quite interesting, and noticed that school had let out a little under an hour ago. Ichigo wasn't sure he believed the clock until the set his book aside and stretched his legs out. If the creaks from his joints and the ache in his muscles were any indication, he'd been sitting in roughly the same position for _hours._

The passage of time surprised him. It felt like it had only been a few minutes ago when he'd finished separating the money into several stacks before putting one in the wallet, and subsequently in his pocket, and the rest back in the book. After that, he had started reading. Initially it was out of sheer boredom, but that quickly changed as Ichigo got further in. The first few chapters were almost entirely on _reishi_ and _rietsu_ theory, control, and manipulation. Several parts were simplified, almost like the book was written _specifically_ for people that had problems with that sort of thing… people like Ichigo. The substitute hadn't even gotten to the first spell yet and he was already several dozen pages in, but he didn't mind. The theory was interesting, and apparently there were a _lot_ of different you could do with it.

The sound of someone unlocking the door startled Ichigo out of his contemplations. He could think about the book later.

Right now, he had to deal with Tatsuki.

Ichigo had spent some of his time earlier in the day deciding on a cover story. After all, it was a little ridiculous for someone to suddenly just drop in out of nowhere with a ton of money and no clothes. Eventually he came up with what he thought was a decent alibi. Truth was he was a terrible liar, but he was pretty good at coming up with some fiction if he had the time for it. In point of fact, he was actually a little proud of the story he'd devised.

He just hoped it would be convincing enough to fool everyone else...

* * *

Tatsuki Arisawa was caught somewhere between wariness and curiosity as she waited for Orihime to finish opening the door. She had spent the whole of her detention period and the entire walk here trying to puzzle out what _exactly_ was bothering her friend. Sure, having both a friend and a cousin named Ichigo could be a little odd at first, but they were two _entirely_ different people, so it shouldn't bother Orihime quite as much as it seemed to. At least, that's what Tatsuki _thought_ before the door to Orihime's flat opened and the pair walked inside.

Sitting at the table in Orihime's living room was a girl that seemed about their age with flaming bright hair and dark, piercing eyes. She was wearing a pair of loose blue shorts and a black hooded sweat-shirt, and still seemed a little mussed, like she'd gotten out of the shower but hadn't had the chance to finish cleaning herself up the rest of the way. That hair had _definitely_ gotten Tatsuki's attention, but when this _new Ichigo_ got up from the table there was fluidity to the motion that seemed oddly familiar…

It wasn't until the newcomer stood up that the martial artist realized just how damn _tall_ she was. For a girl, Orihime's cousin was a _giant_. Tatsuki could only think of a handful of people that could match that height that weren't a different gender. Looking up to her like that, Tatsuki couldn't help but feel that somewhere in the back of her mind this person reminded her of someone…

"Tatsuki-chan?"

Orihime's voice broke the martial artist out of her reverie and back into the present. Whatever was bothering her could wait till later. Tatsuki quickly walked up to this intruder, staring her in the eye for a few moments before addressing the young lady.

"I'm Tatsuki Arisawa. Your name's Ichigo, right?"

"Y-yeah. Ichigo Inoue."

"Right. If you don't mind me asking, where are you from and why did you have to move in with Orihime?"

"I-I'm from a small area in Inaba, actually. My parents work out of the country, so I live on my own most of the time. There was a big fire a little while back, and my house burned down. My family had insurance, so they're rebuilding the house but it won't be done for a while. I had to stay somewhere, and then one of my more distant relatives mentioned that I had a cousin in Karakura and they thought that it would be a good idea to stay with her, so we made a few phone calls and here I am."

"Really? You just up and left like that? What about your old school, or your friends?"

"Uh, w-well… school is school, a-and I didn't really have friends. I mean, it's a small town, ya know? People there don't like things that are different, and I'm about as different as it gets."

Ichigo gestured up to her hair while shrugging her shoulders, and Tatsuki couldn't help but feel a little for the displaced teen, and her earlier suspicion began to abate. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but what she'd said made sense for the most part.

"Okay, I can understand that. So do you have any hobbies?"

"Hobbies? Uh, well, I suppose I'm pretty good at Karate. Good enough that I can hold my own in a fight if I have to. A-and I could probably do a little Kendo to, if I'm pushed to it…"

Tatsuki quirked her eyebrow up curiously before examining Ichigo from a different perspective. Her cursory glance upon entering the room had missed quite a bit, she realized. This Ichigo was pretty well muscled, and the martial artist was fairly certain that the girl could back up her claims about defending herself.

"Do you get into fights often?"

"Sometimes, but I don't start them."

"Self defense?"

"Usually."

"Okay then, let me make this clear to you. Orihime is my best friend, and I take it upon myself to keep her safe from all of the crazy's and the perverts. I want you to promise me, here and now, that for as long as you are living under her roof you will do the same. You'll look out for her, try to keep an eye on her, and if anyone tries to hurt her you beat the living snot out of them. Clear?"

"Yes."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

Tatsuki was surprised, and a little gratified, at the determination in Ichigo Inoue's eyes. She seemed to be taking this seriously, and the martial artist found herself liking Orihime's cousin all the more for it. There was still this little nag in the back of her mind, like she was still missing something, but Tatsuki knew she didn't have time to figure it out. They were burning daylight as it is.

"Alright, Ichigo, we're supposed to be getting you some clothes, right? What are your measurements?"

"M-my what?"

"Oookay then, first things first, we need to get you sized. Are you going to school while you're here?"

"Y-yeah. I'm supposed to start Wednesday… I think…"

"Do you have a uniform yet?"

"W-well, no…"

"Okay, then finish getting yourself ready so we can go. We only have a few hours before dark, and a lot of ground to cover if we're gonna get you sized and buy you some casual clothes and a school uniform."

Tatsuki watched Ichigo look at her bizarrely for a few moments before a she heard a squeak and the shuffling of feet from behind her. Before she could react Orihime had walked past her, over to Ichigo, and quickly grabbed the girl's arm and dragged her into the adjoining bathroom. Tatsuki stared confusedly, wondering what that had been about. A few seconds later Orihime and Ichigo came back out with Ichigo's hair brushed and pulled back into a tail, and each with a tiny twinge of pink in their cheeks.

The martial artist gave the pair a curious glare, wondering about what had just happened, but let it go after Orihime began laughing it off, tugging Ichigo towards the door. Tatsuki still had a few unanswered concerns about Orihime's cousin, but she didn't seem like a bad person so the martial artist decided to let it slide for now. She still suspected that something was up, but she just didn't have any idea what it could be.

Before she knew it, Tatsuki was out the door and on her way to the nearest shopping district with two odd cousins in tow…

* * *

_Thank God for Tatsuki…_

That one phrase repeated itself several times within Ichigo's mind as he watched his childhood friend expertly corral an overly exuberant Orihime.

The first few moments of the trip had been nerve-wracking, with Ichigo worried that Tatsuki would begin questioning him again. Lying to her had been a _lot _harder than he thought it would be, but when the conversation had gone into a more neutral territory it got easier. That promise thing was odd, since he would have done all that anyway, but Ichigo just figured that Tatsuki didn't know that and was just covering her bases. Afterwards, Orihime had dragged him into the bathroom, quietly ordering him to brush his hair again and offered a black scrunchy for him to put it up with. The next thing the gender-bent teen knew, he had a pair of flip-flops on and was being dragged out the door.

Everyone had been quiet during the trip, with Tatsuki in the lead, Orihime in the middle and Ichigo himself bringing up the rear. That all changed, however, the moment the shopping district came into view. The only warning Ichigo got was a squeal of delight, and then the healer in front of him became as bubbly as a can of soda as she quickly moved ahead and bounded from store to store. She cheerily babbled about whatever came to mind while gazing at the products displayed in the windows as Tatsuki kept a close eye on her. She hadn't even batted an eye at her best friend's outburst, as far as Ichigo could tell. The martial artist just seemed to take it all in stride, gently prodding her friend along when she fell behind as she lingered and delicately calling her back when she wandered too far ahead.

Ichigo couldn't help but stare in wonder as he watched his two friends dance around each other. They were just going shopping, but with how elated Orihime was you'd think they were going to a theme park or something. He noted with interest how the healer's self-appointed body-guard seemed completely comfortable with the situation, as though she'd done this a hundred times before and still possessed the infinite patience needed to do it again.

That last part unsettled Ichigo a bit. He liked to think that he knew his friends pretty well, but he would never have thought to describe Tatsuki as _gentle_ or _patient._ Ruthless, violent, cunning… _those _were the things he thought of when Tatsuki Arisawa came to mind. Watching her interact with Orihime made him realize just how much his old sparring partner had changed since their days at the dojo.

When had that happened?

Ichigo always remembered Tatsuki as the little firecracker that was tougher than most _guys_ he knew, whose reaction to something she didn't like was to break things, and who at her core was just as hardheaded and candid as _he_ was. Seeing this calmer, softer side of her was starting to get just a little disturbing…

"You know, you're _awfully_ quiet over there. What's on your mind?"

Ichigo tried to hide a startled jump as he looked over to find Tatsuki idly gazing at _her_ from the side. It took a moment for the teen to realize that he was just asked a question that required an answer, but when he did it was all he could do to keep from panicking. He hated the idea of lying to Tatsuki _again_, even though it had worked rather well that last time, but he couldn't exactly tell her the truth either. Ichigo just wasn't much of a liar, even on the best of days, and trying to come up with a fib on the fly like that was probably beyond him.

He was saved at the last second, however, when his eyes ghosted over Orihime as she excitedly stopped in front of another shop up the street.

"Is she always like _that?"_

Ichigo could see Tatsuki turn to _her_ fully out of the corner of his eye, brows furrowed in confusion before she turned again to follow his gaze and releasing a quiet _ah._

Two shops ahead of where they were Orihime Inoue was innocently bent forward as she starred into the store window. They couldn't tell what she was looking at yet, but it had apparently captured her full attention. Even though she was in profile to her spectators they could still see the wonder and joy shining in her eyes just as clearly as her awe-stricken, slack jawed smile.

"Orihime isn't like this _all_ the time. She just… doesn't get out much…"

Ichigo's head snapped back to Tatsuki as the martial artist looked onward pensively. It took every ounce of self control the gender-bent teen had to keep the look of shock and disbelief from his face.

"What do you mean by she 'doesn't get out much'?"

"*sigh*… Well, things have been hard for her since her brother died. Last winter some… _things_ happened, and it got really bad for a while there. It took some time for it all to go back to normal… well, _most_ of it, anyway. Lately things _have_ gotten better, but… the fact of the matter is that Orihime just doesn't have money to throw around like girls her age normally do, so she doesn't get to go shopping like this very often. I… I try to take her with me whenever I can but… she has some… uh… important commitments that get in the way sometimes. So when she finally gets to go out and have some _girl time_ like this she tries to enjoy it as much as possible."

"… Oh."

Ichigo felt the pit go out of his stomach a little. Tatsuki didn't know it of course, but he knew what she meant by _last winter_ and _important commitments._ The idea that helping him with the whole Soul Reaper Business was keeping Orihime from spending time with her other friends bothered him greatly. It was one thing to ask that of himself, after all the sacrifice was _his_ to make, but asking the same from his friends was a different matter entirely. It wasn't fair of him to drag Orihime away from her friends and ask her to forego her own happiness just because he expects it of _himself_.

He'd have to talk to her about it.

Later.

As the pair caught up to their smiling companion, Ichigo watched as the two best friends grinned and chatted about what was in the window of what seemed to be a pet store, apparently genuinely enjoying the outing. The more he watched the jubilant pair, the more Ichigo himself felt his heart begin to lurch and a small, contented grin pulled its way to his lips as the girls sighed and cooed at the various fluffy animals prancing about.

He needed more moments like this.

They all did.

* * *

The pleasant atmosphere quickly degenerated once the trio arrived at the first shop, a clothing store that also sold their school uniform. Tatsuki immediately set about finding a store clerk to help get Ichigo sized before they started shopping. The gender-bent teen hadn't minded, figuring that Tatsuki probably knew what he needed better than he did.

When she returned she had a middle aged woman wearing the store's uniform following close behind. The lady wasted no time in telling Ichigo to lift up _her_ arms, telling him where they were going to start.

Life after being changed into a girl had so far been filled with embarrassing, mortifying, and all-round disturbing events that Ichigo Kurosaki wished with every fiber of his being he could forget, and it was still just the second day, but as the woman got to work the teen decided that this particular moment most _definitely_ took the cake.

He was being sized for a bra.

The sales clerk started doing… _things_… that were just shy of fondling. Ichigo was trying hard not to think about just what and where she was touching, or what she was doing while touching it. There was a tape measure involved, and some cupping of his… breasts… God, he was having trouble just _thinking_ about that word.

Ichigo tried his best to not blush – and even harder to not punch out the poor clerk that was just doing her job.

At the very least, the other two girls accompanying the gender-bent teen had the courtesy to turn away and pretend to look at other things to spare their friend some embarrassment. Tatsuki looked sympathetic as she browsed the sports bras while Orihime wandered around the front of the shop, doing her best to give him some privacy.

Just as abruptly as it had started, however, the torture was over and Ichigo was handed a sheet of paper with his measurements on it. He gawked at the numbers for a few moments, three numbers in particular, before nervously handing it over to Tatsuki, too traumatized to go looking for what he needed himself. The martial artist seemed to understand, and quietly led the way as a shell-shocked Ichigo followed.

It didn't take long for Tatsuki to gather the various items that made up their school uniform, handing each to Ichigo as she went along. Before long Tatsuki shoved him into a dressing room telling him to try everything on and make sure it all fit. Ichigo stood, stunned, for a few moments before shaking himself out of his dazed state and remembering where he was and what he was supposed to do.

He spent a few minutes examining all of the clothes and quickly found himself fighting a dangerously bright blush. The bra especially made him nervous, since he had never really been this _close_ to one, and had _no idea_ how to put it on. Ichigo quickly reigned himself in, taking a few steadying breaths before trying to figure things out as he started to undress.

He'd managed to get this far, so there was no point in chickening out now…

* * *

When Tatsuki first saw her best friend's cousin, she thought for sure that the relatives were nothing alike. Ichigo was quiet, reserved, and seemed to be a little grumpy, while Orihime was bright, cheery, and bubbly as usual.

Now, however, she wasn't so sure.

As different as the two had seemed, Ichigo had almost the _exact_ same reaction that Orihime had when Tatsuki had brought her here back when they first needed to get her sized for a new uniform. They both seemed to be completely mortified, followed by going into a kind of shock as soon as it was over. At the very least Ichigo was able to move on her own power. Orihime had to be _dragged_ to the dressing room.

Tatsuki waited outside Ichigo's stall, watching Orihime on the other side of the store, something there having caught her attention. After a few more minutes Tatsuki started to wonder if Ichigo was having some trouble, but before she could ask if her friend's cousin needed some help the handle jiggled before the door swung open.

* * *

Ichigo came out wearing his new school uniform with his arms crossed and a grimace on his face. Putting the clothes on hadn't been as hard as he thought it would be. Even the bra wasn't so bad once he got past his own nerves and managed to puzzle out how the thing worked. The clasp was a little difficult, but after a few tries he managed to get it to snap like it was supposed to.

It wasn't until _after_ he was dressed that Ichigo discovered a new problem. His legs shifted in annoyance, and the more they did the more uncomfortable he became. This was just…

This was just so… _wrong._

He looked up and saw Tatsuki watching him with a curious look, apparently wondering what had _her_ so bothered. Ichigo just shrugged his shoulders and sighed before answering the unasked question.

"Do I _really_ have to wear this?"

"Of course you do. It's the school uniform."

"B-but… it's a _skirt…"_

"Yeah, so?"

"I've never _worn_ a _skirt_ before! It's friggin' _weird!"_

"Come on, it's not _that_ bad."

Ichigo wondered how the _hell_ he was supposed to explain to Tatsuki just how _wrong_ this was to him. The thing was _way_ too short and drafty as _hell_, and he might as well not even be _wearing_ the girl's underwear he had on. He wore _boxers_ damnit! His legs were _not_ supposed to be _touching there!_

"So… you've _really_ never worn a skirt before?"

"Of course not!"

"Then what did you wear at your old school?"

"_Pants_!"

Ichigo watched Tatsuki study him for a moment before mentally beating himself over the head. What the hell happened to being quiet and keeping a low profile? He really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut, but honestly, this was just too much.

Thankfully, Tatsuki didn't seem suspicious, because a moment later she motioned for Ichigo to stay put as she wandered off to another part of the store. She came back quickly enough, and had a pair of spandex shorts with her.

"Here."

"Eh?"

"*sigh* Look, back when I first started wearing a school uniform I had the same problem you do. I was so used to wearing pants and shorts that wearing a _skirt_ made me feel half-_naked_. I was always afraid of a stray draft blowing the thing up and showing everyone my underwear, but I _had_ to wear the skirt because it was the school uniform, so I found a compromise."

Ichigo watched nervously as Tatsuki lifted up the hem of her skirt, revealing the edge of a pair of shorts just like the one she had handed to him.

"I never did get used to the things," Tatsuki continued as she let her skirt fall back into place, "but if you wear shorts underneath it's not nearly as bad. That, and if you need to kick someone's ass, you don't have to worry about flashing anyone in the process."

"Huh."

Ichigo stared, trying hard not to admit that he was impressed. Tatsuki's solution made perfect sense, and it was so damn _simple_ that the gender-bent teen couldn't help but feel like a total idiot. Actually, it wouldn't be that different from his boxers…

"So, any more problems other than that one?"

"Uh, well, no actually. It all fits just fine…"

"Okay, go change back into your clothes. I'll go get another uniform set for you, and you can meet me over by the register once you're done. The sooner we get this stuff bought the sooner we can go to a different shop and get something more comfortable"

"R-right."

And with that Tatsuki left Ichigo to his own devices. The gender-bent teen quickly retreated back into the dressing room, determined to be out of the uniform and back into a pair of pants as soon as possible.

* * *

Tatsuki found all of the necessary articles of clothing all over again, taking one of each to make up a spare uniform set for Orihime's cousin. It didn't take long, and the martial artist quickly made her way to the register to drop everything off. Orihime joined her, and as they started to wait for Ichigo to finish up something in the back of Tatsuki's mind started coalesce.

There was something about this cousin of Orihime's that seemed eerily familiar. For some reason Tatsuki found herself very comfortable around her, like she'd known her for years. The more she thought about this Ichigo, the more she felt like she was missing something. Some connection, just at the edge of her consciousness…

That was about the point where Ichigo walked out of the dressing room. She was re-dressed in the hoodie, and was looking down at the clothes under her arm, scowling.

Suddenly, it clicked.

The look on her face must have been alarming, because before Tatsuki could really give the idea much thought a concerned voice echoed quietly from nearby.

"Tatsuki-chan… Is something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, no, nothing's wrong, it's just… I think I know why you've been so flustered all day long."

"Eh? W-what do you mean?"

"You cousin. In that outfit, with that scowl on her face… She could be Kurosaki's twin sister…"

"T-tatsuki-chan, t-that's not…"

"I know you have a thing for him."

"T-Tatsuki-chan!"

"Calm down! It's okay, really. I'm actually kinda glad you're interested. He tries to hide it, but Ichigo really is a decent human being. Honestly, you could do a whole lot worse than him…"

"T-tatsuki-chan, please don't…"

"I know, I know. I won't tell him."

"A-and…"

"And I won't tell _her_ either. Come on, Orihime! Have a little faith in me, eh? The last thing I'd want to do is tell your cousin and roommate that she looks almost _exactly_ like the guy you've got the hots for. That'd be just… weird."

"Y-yeah…"

Even though the conversation had been quick and quiet, Orihime was still sporting a rather powerful blush. Tatsuki just smirked, finally feeling better now that she knew what had been bothering her all this time. She couldn't help but wonder what things would be like once the two Ichigo's met. Would they get along? Would they hate each other? Would they become best friends? Would they fall in love?

Tatsuki really hoped the last one didn't happen. As far as she was concerned, Orihime gets first dibs on Ichigo. The last thing she wanted was to see her best friend have her heart broken because her childhood friend was an idiot.

* * *

**It may be a while before the next chapter comes out. I don't have any work done in this area of the story. I have a rough idea about what should happen next, but unlike the last few chapters I don't have a firm grasp of it yet.**

**As for my side project, it's going to take longer than I thought. I'm having trouble with a certain part. I wanted to do it in more detail, but I'm wondering if I should just do an overview for now and have the detailed portion be a separate story all-together.**

**Other than that…**

***SPOILERS!***

**Ichigo has finally died in the Anime. Even though I knew it was coming, I have to admit that they did an **_**amazing**_** job on that fight. The part where Ulquiorra resurrects and his spiritual pressure is so dense that it's like a massive torrent of rain was thoroughly stunning. And the music leading up to that last cero… just… **_**wow**_**. I mean… I **_**knew**_** it was coming… I **_**knew**_** what was going to happen, but I still got chills.**

**I can't wait to see how they handle Ichigo's return.**

**They **_**did**_** censor it a bit, not showing that last cero up close and shrinking the hole it left, but all in all it's not too bad yet.**

**Here's to hoping they keep it that way.**

***END SPOILERS!***

**Well, that's it for now! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you feel like reviewing, go right ahead. If you don't, that's fine to. I don't mind. If you want to message me, go for it. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a chatter-box (or is it typer-box? I dunno…). Point is, if you've got a question or if you just want to rant with me, I'm all ears (or is it eyes?).**

**Honestly, it's not like I have anything better to do…**


	12. Reality Check

**Okay everyone! Bow down to Quiet Fury, because SHE IS THE REASON YOU ARE GETTING A NEW CHAPTER SO SOON!**

**You, young lady, had impeccable timing. Believe it or not, I had already had Chad slated to make his first appearance here in Chapter 12, but I wasn't quite sure how I should go about it till I read your review, and it got my brain working again! Next thing I knew the chapter was done and I now have a new plot twist to play with in the future.**

**So…**

**Thank you Quiet Fury!**

…

**I don't really have much else to say right now. It hasn't been that long, so not much has happened since the last chapter came up.**

**So…**

_**Allons-y?**_

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 50,887**

**Master File Page Count: 125**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

The rest of the shopping trip had gone more smoothly, resulting in several bags of clothes, ranging from new school uniforms and gym clothes to regular old jeans and tee-shirts, socks and underwear, and even some pajamas and a few pairs of shoes. Ichigo had paid for everything, the money he had set aside being more than enough to cover the costs. Tatsuki had even gotten her new alarm clock, but by the time they were done it was dark, and nearly diner time.

The three teens had decided rather quickly that food was in order since they hadn't eaten since lunch time, so they finished their trip with a stop at the local food court. The girls had voted for hamburgers much to Ichigo's surprise. It worked for him, food being food to the teen at this point, and before he knew it he was paying for three sandwiches and three sodas at one of the stalls. Tatsuki carried the first tray over to the table where Orihime was waiting, the gender-bent teen himself picking up and carrying the second.

The trio quickly sorted out their food and drink, making sure each person got what they ordered. Just before Ichigo could start eating, however, he noticed the peculiar look that overcame Orihime's features. The gender-bent teen watched as the healer took a moment to check under the bun of her hamburger, scrunch her nose a bit, and then suddenly stand. Before either he or Tatsuki could ask what was going on, Orihime gave them a quick head's up before turning away.

"I need to get a few things. Go ahead and start without me, okay?"

Tatsuki just nodded and waved her off as Ichigo cocked his head to the side in confusion. The gender-bent teen stared in wonder as Orihime left them, heading back to the food court stalls, before looking to Tatsuki, wondering what was going on. She must have noticed his gaze, because she stared at him quizzically before an almost pained look crossed her face.

"Ichigo, have you actually watched Orihime eat before?"

"Uh, well… not _exactly_…"

"_Oh boy_… Listen, eat as much as you can before she gets back, but don't finish. If you eat it all she'll feel bad for making you wait, but if we don't eat most of it now we won't be able to later. If she asks why you weren't able to eat it all, just tell her you got full."

"Uh, why? I mean, it shouldn't be _that _bad… Can't we just wait for her?"

"Trust me. You're new here so you don't know yet, but she's my best friend and I've done this more than a few times. I know better than anyone _just_ how bad it is. Believe you me, you don't want to wait."

And with that Tatsuki dove into her sandwich, and after a few dazed moments Ichigo followed suit, although at a more sedate pace.

At about the half-way point, Ichigo was distracted by Orihime's return. She sat down rather eagerly as Tatsuki swallowed what was in her mouth and quickly set the hamburger down, subtly pushing it away. The healer didn't notice as she made herself comfortable, setting a small brown paper bag down on the table.

Ichigo didn't have to fake the look of shock that found its way to his face as Orihime upturned her little bag, which was filled with an odd assortment of condiments. The healer immediately started _doctoring_ the hamburger she had ordered, and Ichigo could almost _feel_ Tatsuki cringe with him. Catsup was joined by honey, horseradish and… were those… _croutons_?

Where did she get _croutons?_

Orihime, apparently satisfied with her work, placed the bun on top and before she could take a bite Ichigo tactfully looked away. Now he understood what Tatsuki meant. His stomach clenched involuntarily in mortification, and he knew that there was _no_ _way_ he could eat now. Instead, the gender-bent teen heeded Tatsuki's advice and just acted like he was full. He'd had enough trauma for one day, and the last thing he wanted to do was top it all off by losing his stomach.

"Hey, Ichigo…"

The teen heard Tatsuki whisper to him, and he turned to find his childhood friend leaning towards _her_, her own gaze averted just as his was. She motioned for Ichigo to get closer, and once he complied she continued.

"I'm gonna hazard a guess here and say that you didn't inherit Orihime's taste buds."

"Definitely no."

"Alright then, my advice would be to go to the store while Orihime's at school tomorrow and buy some stuff that you can make for yourself. You absolutely do _not_ want to let Orihime do the cooking for you. She's my best friend and I love her to bits, but Orihime Inoue should never have been introduced to the kitchen, if you get my meaning. What she just did is only par for the course, and if you leave her to her own devices it will only get worse, so please, _please_ try to keep her from cooking, as much as you can."

Ichigo listened to Tatsuki's disturbed plea, and as he thought about her advice he made the mistake of looking up. There he saw an oblivious Orihime, her joyous grin stained white and red as she chewed with glee. On the other side of her sandwich, Ichigo could see a few of the croutons, slathered in multi-colored wet and sticky, slowly ooze out and fall to the paper placemat on the table with little plopping sounds.

The teen gulped in an effort to keep his stomach from rebelling as he quickly tore his gaze away from his friend. He shuddered a bit, getting himself back under control, before sending Tatsuki a heartfelt look of understanding, and a nod of consent. He decided then and there that he was going to do the cooking, and do everything in his power to keep Orihime's taste buds in check.

After all, if he didn't he might never eat again.

* * *

Once Orihime had finished her meal, and then subsequently gone to the bathroom to wash the sticky off, it was rather late. The sky was already all the way dark by the time the three friends managed to leave the shopping district and start making their way home. The night air was cool, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been the night before.

Unfortunately, that meant that all kinds of people would crawl out of the woodwork.

"Well, well! Look'it what we got here…"

Ichigo heard Tatsuki curse under her breath as the trio's path was suddenly barred by a handful of delinquents, with more appearing out of a nearby alley. Their age could have been anywhere from late teens to early adulthood, and they seemed quite intent on impeding their progress. The gender-bent teen instinctively dropped his bags and ushered Orihime behind him. He didn't need to look to know that Tatsuki had done the same, the two fighters placing themselves between their timid companion and the gang in front of them.

The boys made various comments, ranging from cat calls to insults and threats. Ichigo and Tatuski didn't respond. They just stood there, waiting for one of the idiots to get bold and come within arm's reach. Ichigo knew that the moment they did, he and Tatsuki were going to introduce them to the concrete.

Things didn't quite go as planned, however, as a deeply resonant voice filled the air, addressing the hooligans.

"You shouldn't bother them. They might take offense."

As a very tall, very _large_, and very _familiar_ young man stepped out of the shadows to loom imposingly over the gang of delinquents, Ichigo couldn't help but get a little choked up as he started to grin manically.

It was Chad.

His best friend always had the most impeccable timing. Nostalgia tugged at Ichigo's heart as he watched the familiar scene play out. The bullies tried to provoke Chad into attacking them, and as usual he politely declined, but still managed to make it clear that he wasn't going to let them cause trouble either.

This was usually where things got tricky. If the gang was full of wimps they'd probably back down and leave, but if they had a few guys with guts then there would be a fight. Ichigo decided without a moment's hesitation that if fists started flying, he was going to back Chad up no matter what.

However, things didn't go _quite_ as Ichigo expected.

Someone moved in the wrong way, and the fight was on. Ichigo expected the guys to try and gang up on Chad, hoping to bring him down, but instead they split up, two coming after him and Tatsuki while the rest seemed to be trying to keep Chad from charging in to help them.

That struck Ichigo as odd. It didn't make any sense to send a couple flunkies to fight _them_ when Chad was the bigger target. It was standard gang tactics to go for the toughest looking guy first, overwhelming him with numbers. Splitting up like that and fighting on two sides in a street brawl was stupid. What they were doing just didn't make any _sense…_

And then he realized.

To these guys, the three of them were just a bunch of random girls.

They weren't coming to _fight_ them…

They were coming to take them _hostage._

For some reason, that one thought irked Ichigo to no end. He'd already had a _horrible_ day, and now a bunch of _flunkies_ were between him and bed, and they didn't even have the _decency_ to take him seriously!

Ichigo Kurosaki had officially _had it._

He rushed forward, trusting Tatsuki to keep an eye on Orihime, and sent his fist into the stomach of the guy charging him. Before the unfortunate punk could even finish crumpling to the ground Ichigo had moved past him, taking a step to the side and reaching out, grabbing a fist full of the second assailant's jacket. He pulled, pivoting on his left foot as he did so, using the grunts own momentum to spin him off balance and face first into the nearby wall.

Now that the girls were out of harm's way, Ichigo turned back to the brawl at large. Chad was surrounded by half a dozen guys, trying his best to defend himself without actually hurting anyone. In the beginning it was a personal choice, but as the gentle giant had grown more powerful over the course of their many battles with both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, it became more of a necessity. If Chad punched a vanilla human even just a _little _too hard, he could cause _serious, _possibly even _fatal, _damage, effortlessly.

The Substitute knew where this was going. Chad wouldn't fight back at all. Instead he would just let the guys beat on him till they were too tuckered out to fight anymore, even if _he _got hurt in the process.

Ichigo would have none of that.

These jerks had threatened his friends, tried to take them _hostage_, and all in all managed to piss the already unstable teen off.

He wasn't about to let them go without some _serious_ punishment.

And since Chad couldn't deliver it, he'd have to do it himself.

Before anyone could stop him, Ichigo had rushed forward towards Chad and the gang assaulting him. The teen deftly slipped between two of the assailants, kicking the backs of their knees as he went. While they fell the Substitute quickly took his customary place at Chad's back, and the fighting escalated.

To Ichigo felt like old times. He and Chad fell into an easy rhythm, the giant's larger, heavier movements complimented by the Substitute's quicker, smaller motions. A few stray punches almost connected, but Ichigo was always quick to deflect them before responding in kind.

Ichigo found himself grinning like an idiot.

Eventually the delinquents started taking the hint. They weren't stopping Chad and as long as Ichigo was there to watch his back they couldn't take the giant from behind to overwhelm him. It was their tried and true tactic, the one that had gotten them through so many scrapes in the past.

Back before Aizen and the Espada.

Back before Soul Reapers and the Soul Society.

Back before Rukia and the Hollows.

Back when the worst they had to deal with were a few jerks with chips on their shoulders.

Around half of the delinquents that had started the brawl were down on the ground. Some were quiet, some were moaning, but all were out of the fight. The rest of that particular gang had apparently decided that taking on the normally gentle giant was hazardous for their health, and settled for running away while screaming insults.

Ichigo just smiled his menacing smile while chuckling to himself. He'd never realized how _cathartic_ a good old brawl was until just then. After everything he'd been through today, the teen felt like letting off some of steam had done him a world of good. He straightened up, stretching out the kinks he didn't know he'd developed over the last few hours, now suddenly in a _much_ better mood than he had been for most of the day.

When he turned to face his friends, however, he found himself to be the center of attention.

Tatsuki and Orihime were right where he left them, with his bags, and both of them were staring at him with looks of shock and awe. Chad, on the other hand, had frozen, and his face seemed to be at war with itself. Confusion and disbelief seemed to be fighting for dominance, and the more the giant looked at him the more worried Ichigo became. It wasn't like his friend to just stand there and stare at him after a fight like that.

"Hey, ya alright there, big guy?"

Ichigo saw Chad blink a few times before shaking himself out of whatever daze he'd fallen into. He took a moment to look at Ichigo more closely, which confused the teen further, before he shook his head and spoke.

"I'm fine. Thanks for helping."

"No problem, but why'd you space out like that?"

Chad just gave Ichigo a bizarre look, followed by a noncommittal hum, before answering.

"It's nothing. Though you were someone else for a second."

Ichigo blinked a few times himself before he came rocketing back to reality, and it was suddenly his turn to freeze.

He had _completely_ forgotten about the experiment!

Chad didn't know who he _was_!

The moment Ichigo realized that a fight was imminent he had instinctively fallen back into his normal brawl tactics, not even _thinking_ about the fact that right now he was not only a _girl,_ but a complete _stranger_. No wonder Chad was a little freaked out. He knew Ichigo's fighting style better than anyone. The giant had probably turned around expecting to see his best friend, not some crazy chick he'd never met before that just _happened_ to fight _just like him_.

"Wow, Chad, thanks for the assist. You two really looked like you knew what you were doing."

Ichigo turned towards the intruding voice just in time to see Tatsuki and Orihime finish walking up to them, carrying his bags. The interruption gave the gender-bent teen a few moments to regain his composure. As Tatsuki and Orihime greeted Chad, who replied with his normal short sentences and occasional nods, Ichigo ignored the light pang that he was feeling. He didn't want to admit that it hurt him a little to know that his best friend had no idea he was there.

As Tatsuki explained to Chad what they were doing out so late, Ichigo noticed the worried and sympathetic look that Orihime was sending him. The gender-bent teen smiled sadly in response as he shrugged one shoulder. What could he do? He couldn't just up and _tell_ Chad what was going on any more than Orihime could tell Tatsuki. He realized then that this entire experiment was going to force the both of them to lie to their closest friends, and he didn't like it one bit.

Eventually Tatsuki's conversation, if you could call it that considering she was talking to Chad, lead to Ichigo, and the gender-bent teen was forced to introduce himself to his best friend.

And lie to him.

_Again_.

No, Ichigo most _definitely_ did _not_ like this.

* * *

After the incident, Chad had insisted on walking the girls home, which was fine by Tatsuki. The last thing she wanted to do was get jumped again, although considering how well Ichigo fought they probably wouldn't be in all that much danger anyway. Still, ever since the fight ended Orihime's cousin had been acting kinda strange, and she wasn't quite sure why.

Tatsuki spent the rest of the trip back to Orihime's apartment trying to figure out what was wrong with her new friend. Most of the time Ichigo seemed content to just walk a little behind Chad with an unreadable look on her face, but the martial artist would occasionally catch her glancing in the giant's direction, a look almost resembling sadness crossing her features before she would abruptly look away. But even then, Tatsuki felt like she could almost detect something else hidden beneath the surface…

They arrived in good time with no further interruptions. Orihime started unlocking the door while Chad and Ichigo made small talk. It was kinda funny how Ichigo seemed to get along with him so well even though they just met. Maybe the fight had something to do with it, she didn't know, but the pair seemed to be hitting it off well despite the odd looks.

Orihime finally got the door opened, and she and Ichigo started moving the bags of clothing into the apartment. Once that was done they said their goodbyes, and as Tatsuki and Chad made to leave the martial artist caught Ichigo staring at the giant again, with the strangest look in her eyes. It almost looked like…

Well, it almost looked like _longing…_

The idea really didn't register until she and Chad were about half-way to her own house, but when it _did_ Tatsuki's jaw dropped as she glanced between the giant and the direction they'd just come. She walked on autopilot, eyes wide as she considered the implications. Slowly a grin found its way to Tatsuki's face as she thought about the possibilities.

It looks like she wouldn't have to worry about the two Ichigos hooking up and breaking Orihime's heart.

The tall red head's tastes seemed to be leaning towards someone _bigger_...

* * *

**Well, there we go. Chapter 12 done.**

**Yes, I am evil, but don't worry. I'm not gonna do any screwy pairings.**

**Things might just get a little, _complicated_ latter on, is all.**

**After all, you know what they say about when you _assume_ something...**

**And I even got in another Doctor Who reference!**

**Yay!**

**And if you got the Dresden Files reference, then double yay!**

**Later~**


	13. Day 3: Tuesday, February 9

**Well, this was an interesting chapter. I was actually at a bit of a loss as to what to do, but now I have a bit of an idea of where this particular day is going.**

**Chapter 13 is a little shorter than most (but not the shortest, so there's some consolation there), but I liked where I ended it.**

**Why?**

**Heh…You'll see…**

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 52,828**

**Master File Page Count: 129**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

Ichigo woke up with a bag in his face.

He almost screamed.

_Almost._

Instead, the teen jumped back reflexively, wondering how the _hell _he'd managed to get that close to his new clothes when he was sure he'd set all of them against the wall several feet away from where he had set up the futon the night before.

After all of the trauma, the shopping and a street fight, the gender-bent teen had been fairly exhausted when he and Orihime had gotten back to the apartment the night before. At least he'd managed to set up his own futon and move all of his _stuff_ out of the way, while Orihime did her homework. They had both silently agreed to leave what happened earlier alone for now and just concentrate on taking care of the necessities. This entire situation was asking a lot of both of them, and Ichigo just didn't feel like discussing it.

Instead, Ichigo tried to pay attention to Orihime's homework and what their class was doing, but after nodding off for the third time his friend had suggested that he go to bed early. He wasn't in the mood to argue, and the next thing he knew he was in a new pair of pajamas and sound asleep on the futon.

But he wasn't on the futon _anymore_.

Apparently he had rolled off sometime last night, because he was lying on the floor several feet to the left of where he _should _be, practically laying in the same space he had set the bags last night.

The change of scenery had effectively startled the teen awake. It occurred to the Substitute that waking up with his heart hammering in his chest like that all the time couldn't _possibly_ be good for his health.

As he sat up Ichigo idly noticing that it was fairly early in the morning. His gaze found its way to the path between himself and the futon, and he couldn't help but wonder how he had managed to roll _that_ far, losing both his pillow _and_ his blanket in the process, without waking up even _once_. Had he been in his bed back home, the teen would probably have fallen off again, but at least it would have woken him up.

At the moment, he wasn't quite sure which scenario was more embarrassing.

It was around that moment that he heard the door to the adjoining bathroom open, followed by a muffled squeak.

"K-Kurosaki-kun… you're awake."

Ichigo looked around his shoulder to find Orihime standing in the doorway, her uniform on and her hair damp. She looked a little flushed, but Ichigo hadn't quite noticed. For a split second he found himself completely captivated by a little droplet of water as it made its way…

Ichigo blinked, and it snapped him out of whatever trance he'd wandered into. He averted his gaze while nodding his head, indicating that yes, he was awake and, yes, he was alright. After a few verbal prods the healer resumed getting ready for school, apparently satisfied that Ichigo could take care of himself, while the gender-bent teen sat, legs squirming involuntarily as he fought down both a blush of embarrassment and a groan of reproach.

Inside his head, Ichigo was vehemently cursing himself, using words and phrases that would have made his own _father _blush. It wasn't like him to space out like that and he was just glad that Orihime hadn't seemed to notice. He had no idea what came over him, but for that one second his mind had gone completely blank…

Ichigo got up. He didn't want to think about it anymore. Whatever happened was over, whatever caused it was gone, and now he felt grody again for some reason. The teen quickly shook it off before realizing that Orihime had been awake before him, and had to have walked right past him to get to the bathroom from her bedroom. There was no way she hadn't seen him rolled off the futon and coiled up against the bags from yesterday.

Ichigo didn't bother suppressing the groan this time, instead deciding to just accept the fact that he was never, _ever _going to salvage his image as far as the healer was concerned.

Eventually Ichigo figured that he'd sulked long enough so he might as well start being productive, and began rifling through his new wardrobe. He wanted to get clean before he tried to do anything today, and this time he wanted to wear something more his own style once he was done.

Most of the clothes he'd bought were still in the bags, and they were actually similar to the clothes he normally wore, just from the girl's rack instead of the boys. He had a few t-shirts, two pairs of jeans, two pairs grey of cargo pants, a black hoodie with a beige organic design down the arms, and a pair of black and blue sneakers. In another set of bags were his new school uniform and gym clothes, as well as a few required items like socks, underwear, and… a bra.

That thought alone sent a bout of searing heat to Ichigo's face as he reflexively looked away, unfortunately allowing his gaze to fall to one particularly offending bag. Off to the side, away from all the others, was a bag that Ichigo refused to even acknowledge. Tatsuki had forced him to get what was in that one, and he had absolutely no intention of _ever_ opening it to remove its contents. He had even forced the martial artist to carry that bag herself, refusing to even touch it if he didn't have to.

Ichigo shook himself from the disturbing memories, and returned to deciding on what to wear today. He settled for a red t-shirt, the hoodie and a pair of cargo pants, mostly because they were the easiest to get to at the moment. After setting the outfit down, Ichigo then spent two minutes debating about whether or not to wait for Orihime to leave before sequestering himself in the bathroom. Eventually he, and his red cheeks, decided that it would be far less embarrassing for the both of them if she wasn't there, so he set the clothes aside and checked the clock.

The healer had about ten more minutes before she would have to leave in order to avoid being late. Ichigo looked around and found her putting a bento box into her school bag. The teen's face contorted a bit, remembering that there hadn't seemed to be that much to actually _make_ a lunch with the day before. He found himself wondering what _exactly_ she had put into that box.

His imagination tried to supply him with a few possibilities, which he promptly put a stop to. The last thing he wanted to do was make himself ill right before Orihime had to leave for school. If she thought something was wrong she'd probably skip school to look after him, which was the _last_ thing Ichigo wanted right now. Things were awkward enough as it is. He didn't want to make it any worse.

While Orihime finished her morning preparations, Ichigo decided to straighten up the disaster that was his bed. Back home he wasn't very industrious, but here he just couldn't help it. He felt bad for imposing on his friend like that and his conscience was running on all cylinders because of it.

Eventually Orihime finished gathering her things and left for school after being assured for the fourth time that Ichigo could manage on his own. She still left the keys to her apartment with him in case he wanted to go out, which made Ichigo a little nervous, and a little flattered, that his friend trusted him with her home so easily.

Once she was gone the gender-bent teen was finally comfortable enough to get clean. He decided that morning that he really, _really _liked baths. With all the fighting and running around he normally does, Ichigo had just gotten used to the ache that usually followed the next day. But sitting in a pool of hot water took so much of that away that he resolved to take leisurely soaks more often, even if he had to reinforce the lock on the bathroom back home to do it. The bath itself went much the same as last time, only with a slightly less severe blush and a little less war with his hair since it was still fairly straight from yesterday.

As he lay in Orihime's bathtub for the second time in as many days Ichigo finally started thinking about his family. It was strange, being in the same town, knowing that all you had to do was walk a few blocks and they'd be there, but also knowing that if you did so you'd just be a stranger to them. What happened with Chad the day before was a bitter pill to swallow, and Ichigo _knew_ that it was only going to get worse. He couldn't imagine how hard it would be to see his sisters looking at him like he was a random person that just walked in off the street. He couldn't help but wonder if they were worried about him, or if they even noticed he was gone…

Just as he was starting to really bum himself out, Ichigo heard the telephone ring.

He knew that Orihime had just left no more than twenty minutes ago, so by now she was at school and homeroom had already started. There was no way she could call home during class, so Ichigo again went through the list of people that might be calling.

It was fairly short.

And there was no one on it he wanted to talk to.

So he ignored it.

Or at least, he _tried_ to.

But the phone just kept on _ringing…_

Eventually Ichigo'd had enough. He got out of the tub, letting the water out in the process, wrapped himself in a towel and marched into the living room, wanting to scream at whoever was on the other end.

Somehow the teen managed to curb the urge to yell and when he answered the phone he spoke at a respectable pitch, but he was obviously annoyed.

"Inoue Residence."

"_Ah, Ichigo-san! I was wondering if you were ever going to pick up…"_

Ichigo resisted the urge to yell, again, while simultaneously forcing his hand to relax so he didn't break the receiver. The last thing the teen wanted to do was damage Orihime's property.

What he _really_ wanted to damage was on the other end of the line.

"Urahara…"

* * *

**This was more of a transition chapter, so there is less dialogue, but there **_**is**_** some **_**very important**_** foreshadowing for later on…**

**Trust me, when it comes around you'll love it.**

**And if anyone was wondering, the Dresden Files reference I made in the last chapter was 'Vanilla Humans.' It's a phrase that shows up a lot later on in the series that refers to… well, vanilla humans, people with no magical abilities or mystical affiliations.**

**Otherwise known as diner, most of the time.**

**I love that phrase.**

**Also, I was wondering if anyone knows which day of the week the Kurosaki Clinic is closed. I think it was mentioned once, but I can't remember and I haven't been able to find out via my usual methods (aka, google). I'm hoping someone remembers, 'cause otherwise I'm going to have to start searching through manga again.**

**I hate when I have to do that. **

**I get distracted…**

**Anyway, I'm going to go watch episode 271 now. Then I'll try to go to bed.**

**I'll probably **_**fail.**_

**But I'll try anyway…**


	14. The Downside of Honesty

**This was another one of those chapters that ended up short because it just abruptly ended on its own.**

**That happens sometimes.**

**Again, not much happening here in real life. I've mostly been working on this and one of my own novels. Other than that, I'm just drinking way too much Pepsi. I think I need to cut myself off…**

_**Anyway…**_

**Onward!**

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 54,238**

**Master File Page Count: 133**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

"Urahara… What the _hell_ do you want?"

"_Uh… I guess you're still mad at me, huh…? Well…*yawn*… I just thought you should come over for lunch so you… *yawn*… could pick up your transcripts for school tomorrow."_

"Transcripts?"

"_You can't… *yawn*… just show up and start school. You've gotta… *yawn*… take the papers to the principal so it's legit."_

"Alright, but… why are you _yawning_ so much?"

"_Oh, well I pulled an all-nighter putting some finishing touches on a new project, so I'm pretty beat. I think I'll get some sleep… *yawn*…once we're done talking."_

"You think you can stay up till lunchtime after spending the _whole_ _night_ awake?"

"_Of course not! Once you hang up, I'm going to bed."_

"But if you're just gonna go to bed then why the _hell_ are you inviting me over for lunch?"

"_I'm not…"_

"Wha…"

"… _Yoruichi is."_

"…ah… Y-Yoruichi-san?"

"_Yup. She woke me up and demanded that I invite you over for lunch. Said she wouldn't let me go back to sleep until I did, which was _fine_ by me if you get my meaning, but then she…"_

Urahara was suddenly cut off, and Ichigo could vaguely hear some incoherent yelling, followed by what could only be described as a body hitting the floor, before someone else picked up the phone.

"_Ichigo, you still there?"_

"Y-Yeah… Yoruichi-san…"

"_Look, just ignore Kisuke. For a genius, he's a real moron. Anyway, I need you to come over today so I can give you some pointers on handling your _rietsu_. If we're going to teach the two of you Kidou, we need to get you caught up to Orihime. Your control sucks."_

"Jeez, rub it in why don't you…"

"_Don't get all sensitive. Most Soul Reapers have had years to get to know and control their powers. You've had about ten months and don't get me wrong, you're strong as hell, but nobody's perfect, especially not you, and the slack has to come from somewhere. With you, it's spiritual conditioning. Usually the soul conditions itself over time to contain one's _rietsu as it _grows, but with you…"_

"Y-Yoruichi-san, do we have to do the lecture over the phone?"

" _Oh, sorry. Guess I just got a little caught up there. The truth is I actually wanted you to come over last night so we could start dealing with this before you started school again, but for some reason no one would pick up the phone…"_

"Oh, uh… w-we were out yesterday…"

"_Really? Doing what?"_

"Uh… shopping…"

"… _Shopping huh? Looks like you were listening to Kisuke after all. So I guess you got yourself some new clothes, huh?"_

"W-well, yeah."

"_So… What are you wearing, then?"_

Ichigo deadpanned for a moment before feeling his face flame up brilliantly. He was, in actuality, standing in the middle of Orihime Inoue's apartment, wearing nothing but a towel.

"…"

"_Hey, Ichigo, you still there?"_

"… Y-yeah…"

"_So are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to come over and see for myself?"_

"N-No! I mean… W-well… it's just…"

"_Just what? Come on, Ichigo! I know you're shy, but it can't possibly be that bad…"_

"…U-urahara-san called… w-while I was in the bath…"

"… _Oh."_

"…"

"… _*snrk*…"_

At that point, Ichigo clearly heard Yoruichi Shihoin being assaulted by a fit of giggles. That, of course, only served to further embarrass, and ultimately anger, the gender-bent teen.

"It's not that funny!"

"_Hah… Oh, but it is! You're naked!"_

"_What?_ No, I'm _not_! I… I-I have a towel…"

"_Oh, God, Ichigo… hah… does that make you a pervert or a prude?"_

"Neither! I'm not… ugh, just… drop it, would ya! This is embarrassing!"

"_Hah! Definitely a prude…"_

"Yoruichi-san!"

"_Alright, alright… I let it slide for now. Just make sure you come by at lunch."_

"Ugh… _fine_."

"_And bring your book with you!"_

"Fine!"

After a few more giggles at his expense Yoruichi finally hung up and Ichigo wasted no time in returning the receiver to its cradle. To his credit, the irate teen managed to keep from slamming the innocent piece of technology down in frustration. After a brief moment of stewing in his newfound anger, Ichigo marched back into the bathroom, much the same way he had marched to the telephone, and started getting dressed while adamantly fighting down a blush.

The more Ichigo thought about that conversation, the more he realized that something was _definitely_ wrong with him. Why the _hell_ did he tell Yoruichi that? He could have lied, said he was dressed in something generic, and it would have been fine! But he didn't. Instead he just blurted out the truth like an idiot even though he _knew_ she was gonna laugh at him for it.

He was half-dressed by the time the angry blush trying to find its way to his cheeks started to abate. He was still fairly pissed, mostly at himself, but at least he didn't feel like he was going to spontaneously combust anymore. Before long he was dressed, a little over-charged, and wondering what to do with himself.

After wandering around the apartment Ichigo eventually found himself standing in the kitchen, trying to decide whether or not he should make something to eat. He wasn't that hungry yet, but the teen knew his metabolism well. If he waited until he was actually hungry he would probably rip the place apart looking for food. He scrounged around a bit, and realized that there really wasn't much he could make. There was cereal, but not much else along the lines of breakfast fare.

There weren't even any eggs.

Then Ichigo remembered Tatsuki's warning and her advice from the night before, and decided rather quickly that he should go to the convenience store. He had no idea what Orihime might try to make with what she had here, and he really didn't want to find out, but they couldn't eat out every night either. At the very least, he could buy some groceries and maybe get Orihime to eat some normal food for a change. He was more than capable of cooking if he had to, especially if whatever he was making came out of a box.

He'd learned a long time ago that when it came to kitchen fare, the boxes were his friends.

Ichigo went back to the cupboard and the refrigerator, this time checking to see what he had and what he needed to get. It wasn't something he did very often since the kitchen back home was Yuzu's domain, and the Kurosaki's knew that you only disturbed the cupboards with the utmost care lest you incur the docile twin's wrath. Of all the members of their family, it was actually Yuzu that had the most power.

After all, Ichigo could yell, his dad could spaz, and Karin could kick, but Yuzu could deny you diner.

As for Orihime's food supplies, she seemed to have a lot of things to flavor her food with, but not as much along the lines of actual substance. She had some rice, and the makings for a basic miso soup, but that was about it as far as Ichigo could tell. Then again, he didn't have his friend's taste buds, so she probably thought she had more food combinations than he did.

Eventually Ichigo settled on a few of the basics, like bread and eggs, as well as a few easy things to make, like instant noodles and maybe a few of those _meal in a box_ type things that Yuzu gets in case she gets sick and can't cook. That way whoever took over just had to follow the directions on the back of the box. He'd done it a couple of times over the years, so Ichigo was already fairly certain they'd be a good choice for the next few weeks.

Ichigo checked the clock, noting that it was still fairly early and that the nearest convenience store, if he remembered correctly, was about a block and a half away. He figured that if he left right now he would have plenty of time to go to the store, buy some groceries, come back and put them away while still being able to get over to the Shoten for lunch. After all, the last thing he wanted to do was make Yoruichi mad at him for being late.

Now that he knew what he was doing, Ichigo gathered the things he would need for the first leg of his outing. He checked the wallet from yesterday, and even though it had been severely whacked he decided that the money still inside should be enough for a grocery run. It disappeared into the teen's pocket, followed by the keys to the apartment. Then, mostly out of annoyance, Ichigo pulled his still damp hair back in a scrunchy again before pulling on a pair of socks and his new shoes.

The gender-bent teen stood up, ready to leave, and just couldn't shake how weird he felt. Ichigo didn't feel like _himself _anymore. It was like he was living someone else's life. He didn't take baths, he didn't straighten up the house back home, and he didn't make grocery lists in his head. And yet here he was doing all of that, and probably more, without much of a fuss.

That wasn't like him.

Ichigo shook his head before looking around and deciding that he really, _really_ needed to get out for a while. Being cooped up in Orihime's apartment was making him antsy and turning him domestic. It was like he was starting to develop Stockholm Syndrome or something, and the gender-bent teen felt like he needed to do _something_ before his brain imploded.

The more he thought about it, the more Ichigo wanted to hurry up and get going. He left the apartment, locking the door behind him, and was more relieved than he thought he should be just to be _outside_.

Maybe after lunch he could go for a walk or something. It was nice out, and having some time to himself couldn't be a bad thing. Ichigo was used to spending a lot of time by himself when he was at home, but for the last two days he felt like he was being smothered. He liked his friends and all, but having them practically plastered to him was starting to get on his nerves.

He just needed a little space.

* * *

**I love having Yoruichi laugh at Ichigo's discomfort. She just seems like the kind of person that would find his innocence so very, **_**very, **_**amusing.**

**Other than that, this chapter's done and I have no idea when the next one will come out. Again, I only have a rough idea of what I want to happen next, so I have to figure out the details.**

**Still, I'm pretty happy with it. It's hard to write for just one character by him(or her)-self, but I think I did okay on this one.**


	15. Don't Mess With Strawberry

**Alrighty, I'm gonna stop pseudo-apologizing for the shorter chapters, mostly because they're coming out like crazy 'cause I keep getting assaulted by plot bunnies.**

**So thank the plot bunnies!**

**Other than that, I've answered a few questions from your reviews in the bottom author's notes.**

**You might consider it a little spoiler-y, you might not, it's up to you, but it's there if you want to read it.**

**Other than that, the writers for the season finales of Bones and Castle need to be beaten over the head with a uranium brick.**

**And the writers for the season finale of House deserve the Nobel Peace Prize and a lifetime pass to the Playboy Mansion.**

**And my rant is done!**

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 56,713**

**Master File Page Count: 140**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

"Aw, c'mon! Why don't you tell me who you are?"

What the _hell_ was he _thinking?_

Ichigo wandered around the local convenience store, fuming. It was a block and a half. _A block and a friggin' half!_ And yet he'd managed to get the attention of _every_ guy in the whole damn _neighborhood_!

A block and a half, and he'd had three guys whistle at him, two just stand there looking stupid, and _this one…_

"You look awfully nice. I'll bet you're new here. How about I show you around…?"

_This one_ was actually _hitting_ on him!

What could have _possibly_ possessed the Substitute to think, even for a _second_, that things could _actually_ be _normal_ when he was like _this?_ Of course people would notice, but… Why did it have to be all the _creeps_? At least if the guy was polite he could just tell him to back off, or that he wasn't interested, but instead he got… _this!_

"You don't have to give me the cold shoulder… Oh! I know! You're just shy. _Say_, so how about we be _friends_, huh? I'll take you somewhere nice…"

_What._ _The._ _Hell?_

Ichigo Kurosaki was not pleased. Whatever good mood he'd almost been in upon leaving the apartment was gone, replaced with an irate, annoyed, and generally _pissed off_ teenager. He wanted to break something… no, _someone_. He didn't, by God he _wanted_ to, but no matter how angry he was Ichigo just wasn't the kind of person to take out his frustrations on people that didn't deserve it…

"What do you say? We could… get to _know_ each other better…"

_That did it._

This guy deserved it.

Ichigo turned around, a look of absolute fury on _her_ face. He couldn't take it anymore. He had tried to ignore him. He had tried to move away. He'd tried to give this _moron_ a hint, but he wasn't taking it, and now _drastic measures_ were necessary.

"Listen up, _pal, _'cause I'm only gonna say this _once,_" Ichigo began with such loathing in his voice that it made the older man cringe, "_I_, am _not interested_. Period. End of story. Now, _I_ am going to go into the next aisle. The moment _I _turn around, _you_ are going to leave. _Fast_. And if _I_ come back and find _you_ still _here_, _I _am going to grab your arm, take it to the nearest unlocked car door, and _slam it in there until it breaks off, understand?"_

He did.

When Ichigo turned around to continue stalking down the aisles, emitting a general aura of danger and doom, he clearly heard the man behind him squeak before rushing away from the crazy teenager.

Ichigo finally managed to return to shopping, and found what he needed rather quickly. Mostly it was just food that was either instant or easy to make. Ichigo didn't waste time, worried that someone _else _might show up to harass him. As soon as he was satisfied that he had enough food to get himself and Orihime through at least the next few days he promptly marched to the counter to pay for everything. The cashier, at the very least, didn't try to hit on him. Maybe it was because he was a decent guy. Maybe it was because he'd seen how agitated Ichigo was and knew it was a bad idea to bother _her_ right now.

Or maybe he'd heard Ichigo threaten to break the arm of the last guy that couldn't take a hint.

Either way Ichigo left the convenience store, plastic bags in tow, intent on getting back to the apartment before anyone else tried his already straining patience.

Luck, it seems, was not with him.

"Hey, sweetie…"

Ichigo froze, his body trembling with unspent rage. Why couldn't these _creeps_ lay off of him? The gender-bent teen had half a mind to turn around and break the guy's jaw. Instead he took a steadying breath, determined to keep himself under control. It wasn't their fault that they didn't know he wasn't really a girl. He'd just turn around, tell the guy he wasn't interested, and leave.

Maybe this one would take the hint.

But as Ichigo turned to face the newest pest, he caught sight of something that was different from the last few losers. This guy had a friend with him, and they both looked like they'd recently been in a fight. The moment they got a better look at _her_, however, the pair blanched considerably before one of them stuttered out something interesting.

"Y-you… you're t-that _bitch_ from yesterday!"

Ichigo stood there, stunned.

No one had ever called him a _bitch_ before…

It sounded… weird…

It was obvious by the quality of _scum_ that had stopped him and the cuts and bruises that these were some of the guys that Ichigo and Chad had mangled the night before. Still, there were just two of them, and even in a large group guys like this weren't much of a threat even _before_ Ichigo became a Substitute Soul Reaper.

"Oi, y-you listen'n to me, _red-head?_"

They were apparently getting angry, but Ichigo was still at a loss. First _bitch,_ now _red-head?_ What the heck kind of insults _were_ these? No wonder these guys were such wimps. They couldn't even piss him off properly. Where were the normal verbal jibes? Bastard, strawberry, carrot-top, punk, piss-ant… _those_ were the insults he was used to. These new ones…

They kinda made him want to laugh.

"Hey! _Pay_ _attention_ you stupid _strawberry!"_

_Ah._

That was more like it.

The thug lunged, but Ichigo blocked it with his left arm, careful to keep from dropping the bags he was carrying, turning so that the thug was pulled forward with his left shoulder down and his back slightly turned to the gender-bent teen. Meanwhile, Ichigo gently set the bags in his right hand down before immediately bursting into action, swinging his now free arm forward with a fist leading, connecting with the offending thug's chin with a satisfying crack.

Ichigo smiled.

He'd been wanting to do that _all_ _day_.

The man went down, not much fight in him to begin with. His friend tried to come at Ichigo from behind, since the punch had pulled the gender-bent teen around and leaving his back exposed to his second opponent. It was a bad move on the thug's part, because Ichigo used his forward momentum to start a pivot on his right foot while throwing out his left in the approximate direction of the second assailant. The Substitute's aim was good, and the thug took a back-kick right to the stomach, knocking the wind out of the unfortunate delinquent.

It was over in about three seconds.

Ichigo straightened himself out, feeling worlds better, while the wannabe's fell to the concrete. The gender-bent teen scooped up the handles of the grocery bags he'd dropped before continuing on his way, not bothering to look back. He knew his own strength. Those two were down, and they weren't getting back up any time soon.

The longer he walked, the more Ichigo's mood improved. By the time he got back to the apartment, his world was turning properly again. The whole way, no one bothered him. No whistles, no cat calls, no annoying guys trying to get _her_ attention. In fact, most of the people in the immediate area seemed quite content to stay the hell out of his way.

That suited the teen just fine for now.

He wasn't here to make friends.

He just needed to co-exist and be left alone until everything went back to normal.

Ichigo unlocked the door and made his way inside, nudging it closed behind him. Once his shoes were off the teen went to the kitchen and started putting things away, leaving out a cup of instant noodles much like the ones he'd eaten the day before. Ichigo knew he had to be hungry by now even if his stomach hadn't told him so yet, but it was too close to lunch to make a proper meal. He'd just eat something small and easy to tide him over until he went to Urahara's.

Thus did Ichigo entertain a repeat of yesterday afternoon's festivities.

A Teakettle, boiling water, steeping soup, and a pair of chopsticks later, and Ichigo found himself cleaning up after another minor mess he had made.

All that was missing was a phone call.

Which didn't bother the teen in the least.

After being domestic, _again_, Ichigo checked the clock. 10:22 am. It was too early for lunch, but the gender-bent teen didn't want to stay in the apartment. It felt too much like _hiding_.

Instead Ichigo slipped his shoes back on, heading for the door. Open, shut, lock, and he was outside again. The day was warming up, and the teen decided that a little jog would do him some good. He figured he just had too much excess energy, and it was making him stir-crazy. A run through the park before taking a roundabout way to Urahara's would probably do him some good, and get him there just in time for lunch.

At the very least, he could enjoy the scenery.

* * *

**Alright, I'm going to make one person happy, and possibly a few others either disappointed or angry.**

**First of all, let me set something straight. There will be no weird pairings in this story. I may tease with it a little, but it won't actually happen. In fact, there may not even be any pairings at **_**all**_**. At least, not completely defined pairings, anyway.**

**Like I said early on, this is more of a deepening of friendship fic, but it may, and I **_**mean **__**may,**_** turn into something more later on.**

**Much, **_**much**_** later on.**

**Like, the very **_**end**_** later on.**

**But if that happens, there will probably be some kind of sequel, because I know that if I was reading this story, and I got to the end, and two people only **_**just**_** got together, I'd want a sequel.**

**But no guarantees yet.**

**That was the good news.**

**The bad news is that someone asked if Grimmjow or Ulquiorra would be appearing, and the answer is no. I have absolutely **_**no**_** plans for either of them showing up, and for good reason. Grimm won't be showing up because, quite frankly, he didn't occur to me while I was conceptualizing the story, and even when I tried to fit him in somewhere it just didn't work. I'd rather have him show up, powered up, in a sequel of some kind.**

**And as for Ulquiorra…**

**Well…**

**We have to face facts. Ulquiorra is dead. I know, it sucks, especially since he was one of those bad-guys you just adored, but he's gone. I liked him, but I've had characters I love way more than Ulquiorra be killed in their respective series (like Yuri Hyuuga and Alice Elliot). Eventually, you've just got to accept it and move on.**

**And if you recognize those names, I salute you for having played one of the best RPG's ever made, and sympathize with the tears you surely shed.**

**I can assure you, no one on the face of this earth is more evil than the writers of those first two games.**

**Not even Tite Kubo.**


	16. Revenge

**Attack of the Plot Bunnies continues!**

**And guess what?**

_**Next chapter, School Starts!**_

**I can't wait ^_^**

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 58,532**

**Master File Page Count: 145**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

Ichigo had finished his jog and was about half-way to the Shoten before remembering that he'd forgotten something.

His book.

The teen ran at top speed back to Orihime's apartment, cursing under his breath the whole way.

He was such a damn _scatter brain_ today.

Ichigo growled as he fumbled with the keys before unlocking the door. He got his shoes off as quickly as he could before rushing over to the table and grabbing the current object of his irritation, only to have two forgotten stacks of money fall out.

He started cursing again.

The teen quickly cleaned up the mess, hiding the money in one of the bags of clothing he hadn't unpacked yet, then put his shoes back on and made for the door. Once he was out, _again_, and it was locked, _again,_ Ichigo began running to the Urahara Shoten, _again._

The teen hated days like today. It was like he was playing emotional _yo-yo_, and it was driving him nuts. One second he's depressed, then he's wistful, then he gets pissed, then he cheers up, then he feels stupid, then he's pissed again…

Why couldn't he just pick _one_ emotion and _stick _with it?

* * *

Kisuke was asleep in his bed while Yoruichi was waiting rather patiently in the sitting room of the Urahara Shoten when Ichigo arrived, panting and out of breath. She gave him a few moments to compose himself before inviting the teen into the back where they could talk without risking interruption. The Substitute seemed fairly flustered already, and after their little phone conversation Yoruichi couldn't wait to bother the boy more. Despite her mirth, she had been fairly disappointed that she couldn't have been there in person to see Ichigo blush, and it was a fact she wished to rectify.

He was just so _adorable_ when he turned _red_ like that.

"So, how's our favorite _nubile _teen?"

"… Uh… huh?"

Ichigo just stared at Yoruichi, a dumbfounded look on his face. The former leader of the Stealth Force watched him for a few seconds, but when the boy didn't blush like she expected him to she inwardly groaned to herself. He was a _guy_. He couldn't _possibly _be _that_ ignorant…

… Could he?

"Ichigo, don't you know what nubile means?"

"Uh, no, not really…"

Dear lord…

Just how innocent _was_ he?

Yoruichi sighed.

This kid was just hopeless.

She decided to let it pass for now, motioning for Ichigo to sit so that they could get their lunch started. They were having sushi, mostly because Kisuke was asleep and he wasn't there to object. Ichigo didn't seem to mind either, since as soon as they had their food and tea, courtesy of Tessai, they began eating like their lunch was going to run away from them if they stopped.

Feeding Ichigo had actually been a tactical move on Yoruichi's part. She noticed how the teen seemed to calm down and think more rationally when his stomach was full. That was important, since she was going to try to teach him something today, and without that normal '_end of life as we know it'_ urgency to push him to his limits.

But first she had some business to take care of on Kisuke's behalf.

As soon as they were done eating Yoruichi reached over and grabbed a book-bag, handing it to Ichigo. The teen merely raised a questioning eye-brow, waiting for Yoruichi to explain.

"It's for school. Inside you'll find the books for your class, paper and pencils, and your transcript. Give that to the principal tomorrow and you will officially be enrolled in Karakura High as Ichigo Inoue."

"How…?"

"Let's just say that Urahara has been making a _lot_ of money off of getting Soul Reapers in and out of your school. He's gotten very, _very_ good at it."

"Right…"

Ichigo seemed to leave it at that as he opened the bag and fished around its contents. She involuntarily sucked in a breath, preparing for the worst, when Ichigo pulled out the transcript and started looking it over. Kisuke didn't think it would be a problem… but then again, _Kisuke_ wasn't there when Ichigo started _ranting_ at Jidanbou…

But Yoruichi _was._

She knew better.

The teen's eyes ghosted over the document before snapping up to the top, and _staying _there. Each second he looked at that particular line of text, Ichigo's eyebrows seemed to drop into a progressively deeper scowl.

Well, at least he wasn't screaming.

… _yet_.

Before he could boil over, Yoruichi snapped the teen out of his contemplations, leading him into another room; one with a chalkboard. She wasn't about to give Ichigo the chance to fume over something he couldn't change. Right now they had more important things to do.

After all, she didn't want to be here all day.

* * *

Yoruichi Shihoin spent the next _two_ _hours_ trying to teach Ichigo Kurosaki the basics of _rietsu_ theory.

The _normal_ way.

With words and questions.

And she was failing.

Or rather, _he_ was failing.

To his credit, Ichigo was _trying_ to pay attention, but every few seconds the teen's gaze would shift from the pages of his book to the paper that was supposed to be his transcript for school tomorrow.

More specifically, the spelling of the first name.

_Ichigo._

Spelled like _strawberry_.

"I can't _believe_ that bastard…"

It was the fifth time he'd said that.

Yoruichi was losing patience.

She never should have let him see that transcript…

"Ichigo, you have to understand. We couldn't have your name spelled like usual because _girls_ don't get names like that. _Girls_ are named after fruit."

"I know! It just sucks… Urahara is _so _gonna _pay_ for this…"

"Well, you're just going to have to wait, because right now a _tornado_ couldn't wake him."

"Damnit… that's not _fair… _I wish he was _up_ so I could at least… _Wait_…"

"Hm? What is it?"

"He's… _asleep_, right?"

"Well, yes."

"Show me."

Yoruichi gave Ichigo a bizarre look, but lead her easily distracted student to Kisuke's room regardless. They weren't going to make any progress today anyway. The teen was just too high-strung to be very receptive. Besides, something about the way Ichigo's mood suddenly changed seemed interesting to her…

Once they got to the bedroom they found Kisuke Urahara, comatose for all intents and purposes, lying sideways on the bed with his head hanging off the edge. Yoruichi stepped aside to let Ichigo get a good look at the sleeping scientist, only to watch with increasing curiosity as a grin that could only be described as _maniacal_ spread across the gender-bent teen's face.

"You said a tornado couldn't wake him now, right?"

"Yes."

"Is that true?"

"Hm… one time, back in the Soul Society, there was an explosion in the room next to his. He woke up three hours later, covered in debris with a dozen people around him trying to clean up the mess."

Ichigo looked surprised for a moment before his smile widened ever so slightly.

"Yoruichi-san, would you be angry with me if I… pulled a prank?"

The Goddess of Flash stood, stunned for a few moments, before looking back to her prone friend as an equally menacing grin found its way to her lips. She'd never heard of Ichigo doing something like this before, and in truth she didn't think he was the _type_, but considering the stock the boy came from…

"Well, Ichigo, that depends… What did you have in mind?"

_This_, she _had _to see.

* * *

Ichigo nearly gave the store clerk a heart attack as _she_ ran into the store at top-speed. Yoruichi had assured him that Urahara slept like the dead and would be out for at least another six hours, but the teen didn't want to risk it. This was too good an opportunity to pass up.

He immediately began searching the aisles for something he'd scoffed at in passing a few hours ago. He found it two rows down, quickly snatching up the small box and rushing to the counter. The clerk still seemed shell-shocked, since he started talking instead of ringing him up.

"But… it's already such a pretty color…"

"It's not for me."

"But then why…?"

Ichigo's grin returned full force and the poor cashier winced away at the sight.

"_Revenge._"

* * *

Orihime had to stay after school for a club meeting, so when she finally got home it was already getting late.

So when she walked into her apartment and found Ichigo standing in the kitchen, apparently _cooking_, she couldn't help but think that she had fallen asleep on the way home.

Which was ridiculous.

The healer pinched herself for good measure, just to be sure, before setting her things down and taking a seat at the table, upon Ichigo's insistence.

The more she looked at him, the more Orihime realized that Ichigo was in a very good mood. He wasn't quite smiling, but the scowl he normally wore was there and there was a glint of excitement in his eyes. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened today to cheer him up so much, but the gentle girl wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Ichigo had been irritated and depressed ever since he'd started staying at her apartment, and she was starting to worry that it had something to do with her.

But then this happens.

Ichigo had made curry and rice. The two teens ate ravenously and by the time they were done there wasn't any left.

After diner Orihime did the dishes in a daze, amazed that she had eaten that much and still not quite able to believe that _Ichigo_ had cooked _them_ diner.

The healer spent the rest of the night wandering around, going from task to task almost in a state of shock. She'd seen a lot of things in the past year, but none of that had unhinged and confused her quite as much as this.

She went to bed in much the same state, staring at the ceiling and wondering what in the _world_ had happened while she was gone.

* * *

Ichigo wasn't in a good mood.

He was in a _great_ mood.

Even though he had to go to school tomorrow and pretend he didn't know everyone, Ichigo's mirth persevered. All throughout cooking and eating diner he was ecstatic. He'd hardly noticed how Orihime was staring at him, a bewildered look in her eyes.

In truth, he was just too happy to care.

She went to bed eventually, and Ichigo decided to take another bath since he'd spent half the day running all over the place. Once he was done and dressed in his pajamas again the gender-bent teen set up his futon and lay back, relaxing.

As he tried to sleep, one thought continued to seep into his consciousness.

And it made him _smile_.

_I wonder how he likes being strawberry…_

* * *

**I just couldn't help myself ^_^**

**Of course, you know…**

**This means War.**


	17. Day 4: Wednesday, February 10

**Okay, I have just **_**one**_** thing to say…**

**I. **_**HATE.**__**WRITER'S BLOCK!**_

**I refused to let myself do the next chapter on His Wish, Fulfilled until I had finished **_**this**_** chapter.**

**And it took me **_**that**_** long!**

**I swear, I went through three **_**different**_** openings to this chapter, and ****I **_**scrapped all of them**_**.**

**Thank **_**GOD**_** I finally managed to find one that worked…**

**Yeesh…**

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 60,637**

**Master File Page Count: 152**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

At approximately 4:32 AM, Keisuke Urahara woke to the smell of… ammonia?

That was strange…

Regardless, he shook it off, deciding that he could figure out where that strange scent was coming from later. Right now, he was fairly certain that if he didn't go to the bathroom soon his balder would explode.

He was so distracted during the first pass by the adjacent mirror that he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary.

But on his way back, being far less distracted and slightly less groggy, he caught something out of the corner of his eye that made him turn back curiously.

He stared at his reflection for a few moments, wondering if he needed glasses or something…

Then he remembered the smell of ammonia.

Kisukie's brain finally started working again, and it supplied him with an off-hand conversation he'd had the day before...

"_Kisuke, he's not gonna like it…"_

"_Oh, don't _worry_ Yoruichi-san! He's a smart boy. I'm sure he'll see the reason in it."_

"_*Sigh*… Fine, but for the record, I protest on his behalf so that when he decides to get even with you, it'll all be on _your_ head."_

Kisuke looked up at his altered locks in mild shock.

He _couldn't_ have…

_Could_ he?

The scientist thought about it for a moment before searching around for any evidence of what his mind was telling him had happened while he slept.

He found what he was looking for in a nearby waste bin.

It was a small black box with a picture of a woman with insanely bright red hair on the front.

And on the box were the words _'Strawberry Passion'._

That was, apparently, the _color._

Kisuke Urahara spent a few more minutes staring between the box and his hair, slightly dumbfounded. Sure, he figured Ichigo would be a little peeved at the whole name thing, but... well…

… Honestly, he hadn't anticipated _this_ kind of reaction.

Irritation, yes.

Yelling and screaming, maybe.

But definitely not _this._

The scientist mentally tipped his hat to the teen before grinning mischievously.

If _that_ was how the boy wanted to play things, then he was about to get more than he bargained for.

After all, _this means war…_

* * *

"Ichi-nii, breakfast is ready!"

Beneath a familiar blue comforter, a groggy body shivered instinctively.

Kon was fairly certain that Ichigo's innocent-looking sister was the devil incarnate. Sure, Karin and the Substitute himself were brutal, and the dad was downright _creepy_ sometimes, but none of them instilled a sense of dread like sweet little Yuzu.

So when Urahara had shown up to _rescue_ him from the she-demon's lair, Kon had been elated.

That is, until he realized what the crazy scientist planed to _do_ with him.

Honestly… the bastard just _couldn't_ take him at his word, could he? Kon had already agreed to pose as Ichigo while he was away doing… _whatever_ the hell Urahara had him doing. The Mod Soul had even agreed to _behave!_

That _jerk_ didn't have to…

"_Ichi-nii!_ Get up or you're gonna be late for school!"

Kon ignored Ichigo's demented sister and was quickly repaid for his insolence by a sharp shock of pain behind his borrowed eyes.

The Mod Soul was up in an instant.

Urahara had spent all of the day before yesterday installing that little… _modification_. Then, rather than _explaining_ what he'd done, that sick, twisted _psychopath_ had simply told Kon to go home and _act like Ichigo._

And, of course, the Mod Soul hadn't listened.

_Big_ mistake.

Kon learned rather quickly that he'd been _upgraded_ with the Soul Society equivalent of a _shock collar_. Any time he did anything other than _act like Ichigo_ he felt a jab of pain right behind the eyeballs.

He tried to fight it… really, he did!

But unfortunately for the Mod Soul, he hadn't been built with _Ichigo's_ tolerance for pain.

Within twenty minutes Kon was back at the Kurosaki residence with a splitting headache, and promptly began searching for a bottle of aspirin.

He spent the rest of the day testing his limits and being miserable. By the time the Mod Soul had gone to bed, not because he was tired but because of the shooting pain was telling him that staying up was out of the question, Kon had more or less figured out that most of the things he did to amuse himself while Ichigo was gone were labeled _off limits_.

He'd also learned rather quickly that he had almost _zero_ tolerance for this kind of pain, so by the time Yuzu called for _Ichi-nii_ again he was dressed and on his way down.

With a bottle of aspirin in Ichigo's book bag.

Just in case.

Karin looked at him oddly for the short time it took him to eat breakfast while Yuzu was cheerfully oblivious as usual.

It's always the one's you'd least expect…

As Kon made his way to the exit he almost, _almost,_ made it out of the house safely.

But two steps before the damn door, _someone_ grabbed him by the collar and lifted the incognito Mod Soul clear off the floor.

Only one person currently in the house could have done that.

Isshin Kurosaki.

"You forgot something."

A familiar charm was presently dangled before Kon's borrowed face, and he blanched momentarily before snatching the unassuming object out of the air in front of him.

He did _not_ want a repeat of that time with Grand Fisher.

As the Mod Soul slipped the little charm into his pocket Isshin promptly dropped him back on his feet.

But he _didn't_ release him.

And when the Patriarch leaned forward so he could talk without the girls overhearing, Kon couldn't help the trill of fear that bit at his spine.

"Kon, where's Ichigo?"

"… I-I don't know…"

"Then who put you in his body?"

"Urahara."

"_Really_? What's my old _buddy_ up to?"

"I don't know that either! He just said he had an errand for Ichigo to run and he needed someone to take his place for a while."

"… *Sigh*… I was hoping you'd know more than that…"

"Sorry, but I don't. Anyway, can't you just go ask that nut case you call a _friend_? He'd tell you, right?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I called yesterday but Tessai said he was out cold. Regardless, I have to leave for a conference and I won't be back till late Saturday, maybe early Sunday…"

"… Well, what do you want _me_ to do about it!"

"Nothing. Just keep an eye on the girls while I'm gone."

After a quick pat on the shoulder, the eldest Kurosaki walked out the door without a moment's hesitation.

Kon hadn't gotten a very good look at the Patriarch's face, but he could definitely make out the familiar scowl lines.

The Mod Soul couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down his spine. Lately he'd been seeing a lot more of the _serious dad_ and a lot _less_ of the _goofy dad_ that he was familiar with.

And if her conversations with the stuffed animals in her room were any indication, Yuzu was starting to notice it too.

Kon sighed before following Isshin's path out the door. There was something wrong with this family. Sure, they were never quite normal, and he honestly thought that every last one of them was loony, but seeing them all solemn and serious like that was very, _very_ disturbing.

They'd been that way ever since the fighting ended…

In more ways than one.

Kon though back, and realized that ever since last winter, Isshin hadn't been sneak-attacking Ichigo as much as he used to.

In fact, the last time he'd done it was almost a _month_ ago.

He almost _missed_ the loud, boisterous household that he remembered.

Lately, it just seemed too quiet.

* * *

Elsewhere, a very uncomfortable, very disturbed, and very nervous Ichigo Kurosaki was walking to school beside a cheerfully oblivious Orihime Inoue while trying very, _very_ hard to keep his stomach under control.

No one should ever, _ever,_ have to wake up to the words '_How much sugar do you want in your eggs._'

That was just cruel and unusual punishment.

The pair made it to school without incident, and without Ichigo's stomach spilling its contents onto the pavement, before splitting up. Orihime went to class and Ichigo went to the principal's office to drop off his transcript.

The gender-bent teen got a lengthy speech from the assistant principal, followed by a guided tour that was utterly pointless, before finally being ushered off to his class.

The whole time, Ichigo felt his stomach twist and turn in knots. He honestly had _no_ idea how his friends were going to react to the _female_ him. How the _hell_ was he supposed to fool all of them into thinking that he was a totally different person?

By the time the tour was over and it was time to go inside and introduce _herself_ to the class, the gender-bent teen still hadn't come up with anything even _remotely_ resembling a plan.

So Ichigo just decided to try and wing-it, like he usually did.

Thus began transfer student Ichigo Inoue's first day at Karakura High…

* * *

**Finally…**

**I've got the creative juices flowing again.**

…

**Ya know, that sounded a lot less… **_**wrong**_**… in my head.**

**Oh well, like I always say…**

**I have a **_**condo**_** in the **_**gutter**_**.**


	18. Small Mercy

***Sigh***

**I feel better.**

**After all, I managed to get **_**two**_** chapters done today!**

**And guess what?**

**The next one's already done~**

**And for anyone that cares:**

**Master File Word Count: 62,294**

**Master File Page Count: 157**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

A drearily depressed brunette wandered the halls of Karakura High alongside his dark haired best friend, waiting for class to start while searching for a familiar splatter of orange. Ichigo had been missing for the last couple of days, which usually meant he off pretending to be some kind of super hero.

He and Mizurio and Tatsuki had all gotten the gist of the whole _Soul Reaper_ thing, but that didn't mean it made that much sense to them.

Mostly, Keigo just thought it was an excuse for Ichigo to ditch school.

Which was _totally_ unfair.

So when he managed to meander into his homeroom and found a shock of orange hair attached to a body sitting at Ichigo's desk, his depression instantly turned into mania.

"I~Chi~Go~!"

"GAH! Get _off_ of me!"

Keigo grinned ecstatically. _Finally_, he'd managed to successfully _glomp_ the legendary scowling strawberry. For two seconds, he thought he had _finally_ won that bet he'd made with Mizurio last year. Seriously, who would have thought that it would be so _hard_ just to get a manly _hug_ out of the guy?

And then Mizurio spoke up.

"Uh, I don't think that's Ichigo…"

"Huh?"

The excitable teen released his captive long enough to get a good look at him.

Tall… Check…

Orange hair… Check…

Muscles… Check…

Scowl…

Not quite.

"Hey, you're right! This isn't Ichigo… Who are you?"

"Uh… I'm Kon."

"Kon? You mean that talking plushie he showed us a couple months ago? I thought you were a stuffed animal!"

"Shh! Keep it down, would ya? And no, I'm _not_ a _stuffed_ _animal. _I just live in one because it's convenient."

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you look like Ichigo now…"

"That's because this is _Ichigo's_ body. I'm just keeping it moving while he's gone."

"How does that work, exactly?"

"Uh… look, it's kinda complicated, and this _really _isn't the best of places…"

"Fine, but at lunch, you're explaining."

"Yeah, whatever."

Keigo watched this _Kon_ person carefully, trying to get a read on him. The teen could tell now that even if this stranger _looked_ like Ichigo, he definitely _wasn't_. The posture was seriously off, and his facial expressions and reactions were all wrong.

He was at a loss. It was strange _seeing_ Ichigo while _knowing_ that it wasn't actually _him._

How to approach this…?

Keigo thought for a moment before deciding to test this new arrival the same way he tested all of his friends.

With a bit of gossip.

"Hey, did you hear about the new transfer student?"

"Uh… no. Why should _I_ care about…"

"I hear she's _smokin'_ hot…"

This Kon person paused for a moment before turning to the brunette fully, a look somewhere between curious and _lecherous _on his face.

"Tell me more about this _transfer student_…"

Keigo grinned.

This was to be the beginning of a _beautiful_ friendship…

* * *

By the time homeroom was finally underway the entire class was talking about the new transfer student, much to Tatsuki's chagrin.

Mostly because it was bothering Orihime.

For some reason, every time someone mentioned her best friend's cousin, Orihime would fidget and blush while apparently trying to make herself as small as possible.

Honestly, the martial artist just wished that this _Ichigo-chan_, as she had come to call her in her mind, would get here already so the whispers would stop. It wasn't fair to Orihime, and it was getting very, _very_ annoying.

Just as Tatsuki was considering standing up and quieting everyone _herself_, regardless of the trouble she would get into with the teacher, the door to class finally opened…

* * *

He hated being stared at.

Really, he _hated_ it.

The moment he walked in the entire classroom had gone from the normal buzz of annoying gossipy discussion to complete and utter _silence_.

Which was _irritating._

Because all of their eyes were on him.

Or rather, _her._

Ichigo _Inoue_ had the entire class' attention.

Ichigo _Kurosaki, _however, just felt his normal scowl creep onto his face as he started introducing _herself_. He'd managed to remember to stick to the little story he'd concocted about being a country bumpkin transplanted to the suburbs, apparently earning sympathy points along the way, but it wasn't until _she'd_ mentioned that _she_ was Orihime Inoue's cousin that the dam broke and people stopped looking at _her_ with that weird, disbelieving stare…

The gender-bent teen actually almost panicked when he first walked in and noticed Kon sitting in Ichigo Kurosaki's seat, but he managed to control himself long enough to get his little sob story out. When he finally looked back to check on the Mod Soul Ichigo was still fairly certain his cover was about to be blown, but reconsidered once he noticed the funny look and that little line of drool Kon had allowed to dribble down _his_ chin.

In light of that, Ichigo Kurosaki really didn't think the Mod Soul would be noticing the similarities between them any time soon.

Which didn't actually make him feel any better.

It just transferred the emotions from fear and embarrassment to disgust and annoyance.

Ichigo resolved himself, then and there, to have a very _long_ talk with the Mod Soul about behaving in public.

At the very least, no one was paying attention to his currently possessed body since they were similarly looking at the gender-bent teen with a variety of odd looks.

Most of the guys, Keigo and surprisingly enough _Mizurio _included, were doing a wonderful impression of Kon.

Meanwhile, the girls just seemed a little surprised, though a few seemed kinda upset for some reason…

The only exceptions seemed to be Tatsuki and Chad, whom _Ichigo_ _Inoue_ has already met, Orihime, for obvious reasons, and oddly enough Uryu Ishida…

… Who was giving the gender-bent teen a _very_ funny look.

Ichigo simply wrote it off as a Quincy thing before taking his new seat.

The incognito Substitute thanked his lucky stars for that seat. It was in the back of the class, right next to the window, making it almost _impossible_ for his classmates to _stare_ at _her_ during the lecture.

It was a small mercy, but at this point he wasn't about to complain.

* * *

The lecture was boring, but Ichigo paid attention as best he could regardless, and before he knew it three more periods had passed, and it was time for lunch.

The gender-bent teen quickly found himself surrounded by just about every girl in the classroom. They were all talking to _her_ and asking _her_ questions, but Ichigo really wasn't hearing any of it.

Mostly because his eyes were _right_ at breast-height.

The teen involuntarily turned bright red as he instinctively snapped his knees together. There was that funny feeling again, and suddenly Ichigo's mind just… went blank.

Thankfully before anyone noticed the gender-bent teen's lack of coherent response, his rescue came in the form of the few friends his new alter-ego had made.

Tatsuki quickly chased the other girls back a bit, giving the gender-bent teen some much needed breathing room, while Chad and Orihime checked to make sure _she_ was okay. After a little shaking courtesy of Orihime, followed by a few shaky breaths, Ichigo had managed to regain control of his higher functions and respond like a normal person again, though a slight spattering of pink could still be seen on _her_ face.

_What the heck was that?_

It was the second time that had happened in as many days. First that little drop of water, now this…

Ichigo shivered. Something was wrong with him… well, more wrong than _normal_, but he didn't get the chance to think about it because at that moment Tatsuki grabbed his feminine wrist and practically manhandled the dazed teen out the classroom door.

After all, it _was_ lunchtime.

As they were walking through the halls, Ichigo finally managed to return to the conversation at large…

And just in time to realize he had a much, _much_ bigger problem on his hands.

"Good grief. We were lucky Chizuru wasn't here today, otherwise I think all of the tension in that room would have sent her into _over-drive_."

"Ah… yeah, I suppose... Um… Tatsuki-chan?"

"Huh? Yeah, what is it?"

"Uh, what's our next class again? I keep forgetting…"

"Jeeze Orihime… you're such a scatterbrain today. It's Gym, by the way. Try to remember this time, alright?"

"R-Right! Sorry, I've been a bit… distracted… he-he…"

"Oh, that reminds me. Ichigo-chan, you know where the girl's locker-room is, right?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"Just checking to make sure. After all, you've got the same classes we do, so I wouldn't want you getting lost and having to do extra laps because you couldn't get to the locker-room on time to change with the rest of us…"

At the end of that sentence, a tiny part of Ichigo Kurosaki's brain broke.

And another part went into full on _panic_ mode.

And that _blush_ had come back with a _vengeance_.

Ichigo quickly pulled Orihime aside while ushering Tatsuki along, assuring her that _she _just needed to ask Orihime something in private and they would catch right up. As soon as the pair was alone, Ichigo immediately whispered to his sole confidant, his new voice high pitched and saturated with distress.

"I-Inoue! I can't go in _there!"_

"Huh? Go in where?"

"_T-The Girl's Locker-Room!"_

* * *

**Oh yes.**

**I went **_**there.**_

**So…**

**A show of hands…**

**Who wants the next chapter **_**right now?**_

…

***Raises hand***

…

**Well, since it's one in the morning, and I'm the only one here and my hand is raised, that means majority rules.**

**Soooo…**

**Allons-y?**


	19. Surviving Gym

**So, how's **_**that**_** for an apology for taking so long?**

**Three chapters in a twenty-four hour period.**

**The next chapter is partially written, but I still have to wiggle a few things in there.**

**So it may be a little while.**

**And I may do a few chapters of His Wish, Fulfilled first.**

**Who knows…**

**Master File Word Count: 62,294**

**Master File Page Count: 157**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

"I-Inoue! I can't go in _there!_"

"Huh? Go in where?"

"T-The Girl's Locker-Room!"

"Oh… but… you _have_ to… that's where girls go to change for gym!"

"Inoue_,_ _think_ about what you just_ said!"_

Orihime cocked her head to the side in confusion. Why was Ichigo being so adamant about not going into the Girl's Locker Room? Honestly, it's not _that_ embarrassing to change in there! Besides, it's just us girls…

…wait…

…_Oh_…

Orihime's eyes widened with horror as she blushed brightly, matching Ichigo's stained cheeks. He may be a girl on the outside, but on the _inside_ he was still a guy. And guys were most definitely _not_ allowed in the Girl's Locker Room.

This was a problem.

"Uh… um… I think I see your point," she began tentatively, trying to think of a solution, "Could you just, you know, not look?"

Ichigo gave Orihime a pleading look while she watched the burning blush flash a little brighter on his cheeks as he replied in a low and slightly squeaking voice.

"I'd rather not find out…"

"O-okay… um, you could go in early and grab your clothes and hide in one of the restroom stalls. That _might_ work. Then you could just wait there until everyone else is dressed!"

"H-how will I know when they're done?"

"Oh, um… I know! I'll come over and tell you! How about that? Do you think that will work?"

"M-maybe…"

"Alright, then we'll give it a shot. Remember, you've got to get in there early, otherwise people may already be changing and the stalls might fill up."

"R-right."

* * *

The gender bent teen paid absolutely _no _attention to lunch, preferring to ignore the conversation as Orihime did damage control. She said something about her cousin not feeling well, but after he heard the words _that time of the month _enter the open air Ichigo immediately cut off all communication. He was not, _absolutely _was _not, _going to participate in _girl talk._

There were some lines he simply _refused_ to cross.

As soon as the bell for the end of lunch rang Ichigo left for the Girl's Locker Room hoping to get there before anyone else. For once, luck was with him. The place was deserted, mostly because everyone was taking their time getting there. After all, no one is eager for gym.

Ichigo thanked his lucky stars as he gathered his gym outfit (which was also new, and of the female variety). He quickly slipped into one of the nearby stalls just as the first group of girls started to trickle in. He changed quickly, not bothered by his new physique because he was too nervous about being _found_. Even though he looked like a girl now, it didn't change the fact that all of this felt very, _very _wrong to him. Hiding out in the Girl's Locker Room was something perverts did, and Ichigo _wasn't_ a pervert.

After a while more voices started to filter in, and he thought that he could hear Orihime somewhere, but there were too many sounds bouncing around to pick out any one conversation. Just as the noise hit is loudest, Ichigo was suddenly struck by the reality of the situation. Here he was; a guy (despite his looks) hiding in a restroom stall in the Girl's Locker Room with an entire _class_ worth of female students in various states of undress _just_ on the other side of the door.

It was like he was unwittingly living out one of Keigo's fantasies.

Or Kon's.

Ichigo's mouth went completely dry as his face flamed a brilliant scarlet that would have put Renji's hair to shame. He was _not_ a pervert and he was _not_ going to keep thinking about whatever was happening on the other side of that door. He tried desperately to get his mind to settle on another subject, _any_ subject, other than his current predicament. He was only marginally successful, and in the end he had to start counting in order to distract himself.

Around 87, a knock came at the stall door, and Ichigo barely managed to suppress the squeak that wanted to come out as he practically jumped out of his shoes.

"I-Ichigo, is that you?"

Orihime's voice came from the other side of the door, and the gender-bent teen sighed in relief.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Okay, it's safe to come out now."

Oh…

Ichigo hesitated a moment before slowly opening the door, peaking around as he did. His blush had managed to go from searing heat to only mild burn as he looked around the locker-room. True to her word, Orihime had waited until everyone else had finished changing before calling him out. The girls still in the locker-room were fully dressed, but most of them had already headed off to class.

"Hey, you found her!"

Tatsuki waved to Orihime and Ichigo, beckoning them over.

"Come on! We're gonna be late if you don't hurry up!"

"R-right…"

"Coming!"

* * *

Gym itself wasn't nearly as bad as Ichigo was afraid it was going to be. The girls were running today, so he just had to sprint to the front of the class and stay there. That way he wouldn't be tempted to look at the girls that were running with him.

It was a sound plan, but for one minor miscalculation.

The moment Ichigo started sprinting, one of the other students rushed ahead of him. He tried to recall who she was, but for the life of him he could _not_ remember her name.

The gender-bent teen was stunned for a few moments before rushing to catch up. He originally just wanted to stay in front for dignity's sake, but somehow it turned into a race between the two of them. She was fast, but then again so was Ichigo. The Substitute Soul Reaper noted that running was a bit harder because he was… _bouncing…_ ugh, Keigo would be having a field day with this. Ichigo, however, just ignored it even though it was slowing him down a little. By the end of the mile Ichigo had gotten used to his new body's… _movements_. He was easily keeping up with his classmate, who seemed to be getting tired.

In the end, the girl won. At the last second she pushed herself to top speed and finished before Ichigo had the chance to catch back up. They both stopped to catch their breath, which the victor was completely out of. The winner stood a few feet away, doubled over while trying to recover from her recent exertion. Ichigo, on the other hand, just took a few steadying breaths and stretched a bit. She was fast, but even in his altered condition Ichigo was in _much_ better shape. He probably could have run a marathon at the pace he had set during the race. Running all over the place hunting hollows will do that to you.

"…*huff*… You're…*huff*… fast…"

"You still won."

"…*huff*… Barely… *huff*…"

The young girl took a few moments to finish catching her breath, and then she straightened herself out and offered an introduction.

"I'm Ryou Kuneida."

"Ichigo."

"Ah, you're the cousin of Orihime Inoue, correct?"

"Uh… yeah…"

"Hm. Have you considered joining any clubs yet?"

"W-well, you see… I'm not exactly sure how long I'm gonna be here… so…"

"Ah, I see. It's a shame, really. Our track team could use someone with your talent."

"Uh, thanks…"

"It's nothing. I just call it as I see it."

Around that time the faster of the girls started finishing up. Tatsuki was one of the first to arrive and marvel at how well Ichigo kept up with Ryou, quickly followed by Orihime. The healer knew better than most just how strong Ichigo was, but apparently she was still impressed based on the look of surprise he noticed plastered onto her face.

Shortly after the last of the girls finished their run, the teacher came over and announced the rest of the class as a free-period since she had to go to a staff meeting. Ichigo somehow managed to convince Orihime to spend the period with her friends instead of following him around, insisting that she shouldn't avoid them just for his sake.

As Orihime went off to join her own circle, Ichigo gratefully set himself down next to the door to the locker-room to wait for the bell. He was trying to keep his mind off of the fact that he was going to have to hide in the restroom stall again while the girls changed. He gazed up into the sky, watching the clouds roll by silently.

It was a nice day; Not too hot and not too cold.

He felt it before he saw anything. A cold, sickly chill ran down his spine, and before he consciously knew what he was doing he was up, tense, and alert. He noticed a moment later that a few others were getting up as well, looking around just like he was, searching for something no one else could see.

A bloodcurdling howl tore through the pleasant atmosphere, and there it was at the end of the soccer field.

A Hollow.

Ichigo instinctively reached for his Substitute Soul Reaper Badge, preparing to rush after the fallen soul the moment he was free of his body. Then he froze, realizing that he didn't _have_ the badge on him. Urahara had taken it at the beginning of this experiment of his, promising that any hollows that showed up would be taken care of. The gender-bent teen gulped and he watched helplessly as the hollow continued its approach.

The situation wasn't too bad. There were plenty of people in the immediate area capable of taking down a low level hollow like that one, but they were all human. If any of them tried to make a move they would end up making a spectacle of themselves, even to the people that couldn't see what was going on.

The Hollow was getting closer, and Ichigo was starting to wonder if anyone was going to actually _do_ something. Just as the trapped Substitute was contemplating running up there and playing decoy until someone got up and _killed_ the thing he felt a minor surge of _rietsu_ coming from his left. He looked, and there charging in was the Soul Reaper with an afro that he had encountered night before that mess with the Arrancar started. He couldn't remember the guy's name, but he had the feeling that it was something long…

The Soul Reaper quickly rushed the Hollow and, with _way_ more effort than Ichigo would have put in, split its head in two.

As the Hollow's body began to disintegrate, Ichigo started to relax a bit. In all honesty, he had _completely_ forgotten that there was another Soul Reaper in town. Can't really blame him though since after that first meeting the afro-wearing Soul Reaper seemed to want to avoid him like the plague.

Before Ichigo could dwell on his thoughts for too long the bell rang. The gender-bent teen snapped back to reality, remembering why he was next to the door in the first place. He quickly ducked in, grabbed his uniform, and hid inside of one of the stalls. He was almost fully dressed by the time the rest of the class wandered into the locker-room.

Not wanting to take any chances, Ichigo stayed in the stall until Orihime came to get him. He was marginally less pink this time, although Orihime had to fix his skewed bow.

As they began walking to the classroom, however, Ichigo noticed that Orihime seemed to be lost in thought.

"Ino… uh, _Orihime_?"

"Eh? …Oh! Sorry, did you need something?"

"No, I was just wondering what was on your mind, that's all."

"Oh, well I was just thinking…"

"About what?"

"Well, um… promise you won't get mad?"

"Sure."

"Okay," She began, taking a deep breath, "I remember once that Ishida-kun said that y… that _Kurosaki-kun_ was wasn't very good at sensing things, like Hollows and such…"

Ichigo growled a little, well aware of how pompous Uryu Ishida was.

"You promised you wouldn't get mad…"

"Oh, right… sorry."

"It's alright, I know you didn't mean it."

Ichigo's cheeks pinked a little at the understanding comment before urging Orihime to finish her previous thought.

"Right, um… where was I? Oh yeah! Kurosaki-kun isn't good at sensing things. But back in gym just before the Hollow showed up you were the first one to notice it. I remember when you got up and I wondered what had you so tense, and then a few seconds later I felt it too, and then I and Ishida-kun and Sado-kun all got up at almost the same time. What doesn't make sense is that _you_ sensed it several seconds before _we_ did. But Kurosaki-kun isn't supposed to be able to sense these things very well so he should have been the _last_ person to get up, not the _first_. I was just wondering why…"

Ichigo digested this information for a moment, and suddenly he was curious too. He hated to admit it, but he really _did_ have a lot of trouble sensing unfamiliar spiritual pressures. If the pressure was familiar he could find it no problem, but usually he had to actually be _looking_ for it, and strangers and random Hollows may as well be invisible if they weren't either right next to him or above a certain level of strength.

So why _did_ he sense the Hollow first?

"Kurosaki-kun?"

"I don't know. Something like this has never happened to me before…"

"Huh… maybe was should ask Urahara-san about it?"

"Yeah"

They could do that later.

Right now, they had to get through the rest of the day.

* * *

**Ichigo Kurosaki has survived gym.**

**What will he have to survive next…?**

…

**You know, it's kinda funny, really…**

**No one's noticed what **_**Sunday**_** is yet…**


	20. The Quincy's Conundrum

**Dear Lord and Fluffy Bunnies…**

**We've made it to Chapter 20.**

**Wow…**

**Master File Word Count: 64,286**

**Master File Page Count: 162**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

Class was over.

Ichigo had been relieved when the last bell rang. He knew that going to school and being around his friends was going to be hard, but he had no idea it would be so _exhausting_.

And then Tatsuki showed up, asking Orihime if she could _borrow_ her cousin while the healer attended her handy-crafts club.

Ten minutes later, Ichigo found himself standing in the room that the school had allocated as their dojo, wearing a gi and facing off against one of the other students.

All Ichigo could do was sigh.

This was really getting out of hand.

The news of what had happened between the gender-bent teen and Ryou had spread quickly, and Ichigo suddenly found _herself_ to be the center of attention again. All through class he caught people trying to look at _her_ discreetly, and quite frankly it was getting a little… disturbing.

Then, during the break between classes Ichigo was surrounded by a bunch of people he barely even _recognized_, all asking _her_ to join one club or another. When Tatsuki arrived and cleared the area the Substitute honestly thought he'd been saved… until his childhood friend declared that the Karate Club got the first pick.

Ichigo had tried to tell her that _she_ wasn't interested in joining any clubs.

But then Tatsuki pulled out the logic card.

He really hates it when she does that.

The short version was that even for someone with Ichigo-_chan's_ talents it wasn't safe to walk home alone. For years Tatsuki and Orihime have been keeping an eye out for each other, and now that Ichigo-_chan_ was in the picture they needed to decide what _she_ was going to do after classes ended. The problem was that Tatsuki was in the Karate Club, which meets every day, and Orihime was in the Home Handy-Crafts Club, which meets on Tuesday and Wednesday. Orihime ended up staying after school on the days her own club didn't meet so that she could still walk home with Tatsuki, and if Ichigo-_chan_ was going to help keep her safe like _she_ said _she_ would, _she_ would either have to join one of the two clubs that the two of them were in, or wait around by _herself_ the whole time.

Ichigo, personally, would have preferred to wait around.

But Tatsuki, apparently, wasn't taking no for an answer.

Which was why the gender-bent teen was staring down some poor first-year that really had no idea what she was messing with.

After all, there was no _way_ the gender-bent teen was going to learn to sew.

That was Ishida's job…

* * *

Sitting in the classroom where the Home Handy-Crafts Club regularly meets, one of their more famous members was very, _very_ quiet.

Which normally wasn't that different.

Uryu Ishida usually didn't talk much with his fellow club members.

But today _was_ different.

Today, Uryu Ishida was quite perplexed.

The young Quincy had always been leery of strangers, and he knew better than anyone that at _this_ school the words '_new transfer student'_ were pretty much synonymous with the words '_Soul Reaper'_.

So when the news of a new student started buzzing around the class room Uryu had dismissed it, figuring that it was a new Soul Reaper, and thus none of his business.

That is, until this new _student_ came in and introduced herself.

To his credit, Uryu had managed to keep the look of confusion off of his face.

This _Ichigo Inoue_ wasn't a Soul Reaper…

The Quincy quickly trained all of his senses to the new young lady, and was only further baffled.

He could tell right away that she had _some_ spiritual energy. The problem was that every time he tried to sense her out he got a different read. It was like her power was _naturally_ fluctuating, something _rietsu_ at rest simply didn't _do._

Which was… peculiar.

The Quincy spent the rest of that class period, and the one after, keeping his senses honed in on the back of the classroom, trying to figure out who, or perhaps _what,_ this new stranger may be. Uryu prided himself on his ability to analyze the powers and talents of those around him, and encountering a person he actually _couldn't_ read accurately was _quite_ vexing.

By the time lunch rolled around, the Quincy was thoroughly flustered. All he could manage to figure out was that Orihime's _supposed _cousin was leaking a minor amount of _rietsu_, fluctuating between unnoticeable and around the same amount Arisawa-san seemed to have developed.

Uryu still hadn't managed to discern the _composition_ of the new student's _rietsu_, whether it be human, Soul Reaper, or even Hollow, which was bothering him greatly.

And perhaps worse still, the Quincy couldn't analyze the young lady's personality or mannerisms because she had been seated at the very _back_ of the class. The angle was _just_ right so that she was fully in Uryu's blind-spot. There was no way he could observe her without turning and drawing attention to himself.

By the end of lunch, Uryu had given himself a migraine, and with nothing to show for it. For all he knew, Ichigo Inoue was sincere, _exactly_ who she said she was, and _he_ was just being paranoid. After all, it really isn't so far a stretch to believe that Orihime has family out there somewhere… and the pair _did_ have a few physical similarities…

But still… Uryu just couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite _right_ about this apparently _legitimate_ transfer student…

But it wasn't until gym that the Quincy finally managed to catch his first break.

In truth, Uryu had almost killed the Hollow the moment he sensed it, but something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and made him pause.

Ichigo Inoue had noticed the Hollow too.

That alone wasn't all that impressive. There were plenty of people in town capable of seeing the fell creatures thanks to that _meat-head_ Kurosaki's carelessness.

No, what caught Uryu's attention was the _look_ on her face.

She didn't look _afraid_.

She looked _annoyed_.

That fact alone told the Quincy volumes. No fear meant that Ichigo Inoue had met Hollows before and likely had some way of fighting them. The annoyance probably meant that this had happened around her enough for her to become comfortable with the idea that these creatures existed, assimilating them into her life as though they were a normal occurrence.

Her posture told him more. Uryu had seen Ichigo Inoue's race with Ryou Kuneida earlier, and had noted both her speed and stamina. If his assumption was correct, and based on the fact that the transfer student's weight was shifted _forward_ in preparation for a _charge_ it probably_ was_, Ichigo Inoue had likely gained those physical attributes by fighting, or running from, Hollows in general.

Uryu learned even _more_ when the local Soul Reaper arrived. Based on the way she calmed down and seemed to dismiss the situation, Ichigo Inoue obviously knew what Soul Reapers were, or at least knew enough to consider them non-threatening.

With this new information, the Quincy attempted to read the new student's _rietsu_ again, hoping to find some subtle clue that _might_ shed some light on who and what she was.

But, unfortunately, by the end of the day that strange fluctuating _rietsu_ had managed to stonewall him. No matter how hard he tried, he just could _not_ get a clear reading from the strange girl.

Honestly, this wouldn't be bothering him so much if it wasn't for the fact that the stranger was staying with Orihime, and the fact that she had arrived so close to the same time Ichigo Kurosaki's _rietsu_ had disappeared from the town had not gone unnoticed. Right now, Karakura Town was likely at its weakest. If someone wanted to make a move, this was the time to do it.

Maybe that line of thought had been making him more paranoid than necessary, but _someone_ had to keep an eye out for these kinds of things!

Uryu indulged in a growling sigh. His mind went round and round, but he never came up with anything new. He was almost ready to give up for the day when he saw Orihime leave the room, apparently on her way to meet with her cousin and Tatsuki.

Then, a thought occurred to him.

"Inoue-san, might I accompany you?"

"Eh? Oh sure…"

Uryu gathered his things, rose, and quickly followed the young healer.

There was _one_ more thing he could try…

* * *

Karate Club was a bad idea.

Ichigo realized rather quickly that he hated the idea of hitting girls. It was one thing to spar with Tatsuki, since the demonic fire-cracker had been his equal for so many years, but the other girls just didn't match up. The gender-bent teen instinctively pulled _all_ his punches, and tried to gravitate towards grabs and locks to try and wear out his opponents rather than going for his normal TKO.

It took a while for him to _finally_ convince Tatsuki that he really didn't want to do this. But, true to her nature, the martial artist refused to let _her_ go without a fight.

Which was how Ichigo Kurosaki realized that his Karate was a _little_ rusty.

Tatsuki was a monster in the ring. The Substitute honestly hadn't realized just how hard she could hit until one of his blocks fell a little too low. A swift kick to the stomach got Ichigo's attention, knocking the wind out of the gender-bent teen. That hit, however, also managed to wake up that foggy mind of his. Before long Ichigo was fighting like his old self and giving Tatsuki a run for her money.

Even though she _had_ gotten stronger… a _lot_ stronger… Tatsuki Arisawa was still unknowingly fighting one of the most powerful Soul Reapers alive. Even if he _was_ gender-switched and fighting in a _gigai_, Ichigo Kurosaki was about a tough as they come.

The fight eventually had to be called a draw because someone spotted Orihime on her way down.

Ichigo sighed in relief.

After it was agreed that Orihime would wait for them at the school gates Tatsuki practically _dragged_ Ichigo into the locker room, where the gender-bent teen quickly changed in one of the bathroom stalls, earning _her_ a strange quirked eyebrow from the martial artist when he came back out.

The gender-bent teen just brushed the look of, trying to hide the slight pink twinge he'd picked up.

As he rushed back towards where Orihime was patiently waiting for them, Ichigo turned a corner a little too sharply and practically barreled over someone walking the other way.

The gender-bent teen cursed himself while trying to nonchalantly mumble an apology. After the words had managed to make their way out of his mouth, and after a body-check to make sure he hadn't hurt himself, Ichigo turned, catching sight of who he'd just bumped, and almost cringed involuntarily.

He'd run into Uryu.

The gender-bent teen barely suppressed a groan before setting his face in a mask, preparing for whatever the irritating Quincy planned on saying to him.

So when Uryu simply apologized, trying to take the blame himself, Ichigo was well and truly dumbfounded.

Tatsuki caught up just as the Quincy excused himself, and Ichigo simply shook his head, filing away what just happened with all the other freaky junk that had been going on recently, before heading back to the school gates.

The entire day had been crazy, and right now Ichigo just wanted to go home, take a shower, eat something, and go to bed.

And pray that tomorrow was a little more _sedate_.

* * *

That night, standing in his small apartment, Uryu Ishida indulged in one of his few nervous habits.

He was pacing.

He had hoped that making _physical_ contact with Orihime's supposed cousin would let him get a clear, concise read on her _rietsu_.

By checking her spirit ribbon.

But now he was even _more_ confused.

After all… that just wasn't _possible…_

_Was it?_

* * *

**So, what do you think Ishida has learned?**

**Can anyone guess?**

**I can almost guarantee you it isn't what you think…**

***Spoilers!***

**Anyway, I got to see the A-Team movie this weekend, and I gotta say it was EPIC!**

**Lots of fun, hot guys in various states of undress, and shit blowing up.**

**What more do you need?**

**Oh, and they flew a tank.**

**Seriously, they **_**FLEW **_**a ****friggin'**_** TANK!**_

**And barrel rolled a helicopter… and the plane originally carrying the tank…**

**Seriously… Who the **_**hell**_** came **_**up**_** with that!**

**It was pure **_**genius!**_

**Totally worth seeing.**


	21. Day 5: Thursday, February 11

**Oh my…**

**I am **_**so**_** evil.**

**Just wait till you get to the last sentence…**

_**(Chuckles Evilly)**_

**Master File Word Count: 66,135**

**Master File Page Count: 168**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

**

* * *

**

Uryu Ishida hadn't gotten much sleep that night.

He'd spent almost the entirety of the darker hours contemplating what he _thinks_ he felt, and what it could possibly mean. By the time late night became early morning the young Quincy had managed to narrow everything down into two possibilities.

Neither of which enthused him.

And, of course, this was still assuming that he hadn't read the spirit ribbon wrong.

In the end, Uryu decided that preemptive action was in order.

After all, if he was wrong he could just apologize.

But if he was right…

Orihime might be in real danger.

* * *

When the alarm went off in Ichigo Kurosaki's room, Kon got up immediately, deciding that life would be much better _without_ little electric needles stabbing him in his perceived eyeballs.

So when Yuzu called up for _Ichi-nii_ to come eat breakfast, the Mod Soul was already dressed and ready to go.

Ironically enough, Kon didn't feel the same sense of boredom and dread at the idea of going to school that he'd had the day before. Maybe it was because he'd actually made a friend. He and Keigo had hit it of swimmingly, spending most of lunch chatting about their classmates.

Mostly the female ones.

That memory brought a hidden smile to the Mod Soul's face. He had been very, _very_ pleased to learn that the little insurance policy Urahara had installed didn't keep him from ogling Ichigo's classmates.

Especially the new one.

_She_ looked _feisty_.

Kon didn't get to think about it too long because a knock at the door caught his attention, and the Mod Soul realized that it was probably Ichigo's friends coming to pick him up.

Or maybe they were _Kon's_ friends now, since they knew Ichigo wasn't in his body, coming to pick _him_ up.

Either way, it made the whole _education_ thing suck less, so the Mod Soul had no problem grabbing Ichigo's bag and joining Keigo and Mizurio on their way to school.

It was a nice day out, and if Kon wasn't mistaken it was actually getting unseasonably warm.

The trio only managed to get about twenty feet past the door, however, before the Mod Soul realized that something wasn't quite right…

His new friend, Keigo, was being oddly quiet.

In fact, he almost seemed… depressed.

That was new.

"Uh… Keigo? You alright man? You look kinda bummed…"

"No, I'm _not _alright… And I _am _bummed! Guys, last night I was up watching TV and I realized something. This Sunday is _Valentine's Day_! And we don't have plans! Hell, we don't even have _dates_!"

"… Oh…"

"I have a date."

"You don't _count_, Mizurio! Anyway, I was thinking, since _we_ don't have dates, and there's a new girl in class, we should try asking her out!"

Kon thought about the idea for a moment, brushing off his new friend's manic-depressive attitude, remembering their new classmate's… _assets_. It actually seemed like a good idea to him. After all, if the rumor was true then the girl wasn't supposed to be staying here very long… she might actually _leave_ before the _real_ Ichigo comes back… He could ask her out; maybe get in a few dates and a little groping. Then he could break if off when she had to leave, telling her that they could still be _friends_… and the _real_ owner of his current body would be none the wiser!

The Mod Soul felt a broad grin spread across his borrowed face, really starting to like the idea… until a familiar jolt of pain brought him crashing back to reality.

"Damnit…"

"Uh, hey… Kon, right? What's wrong man? You look like you just got hit or something…"

"God damn _shock collar_…"

"… Uh… what?"

"*Sigh*… You know that crazy guy with the striped green hat? The one that runs the candy store?"

"Uh, blond hair and kinda creepy?"

"That's the guy."

"What about him?"

"Well, he _did_ something to me so that now I have to _behave_, otherwise I get this jab of pain in my head. It's not so bad most of the time, but if I try to cause any trouble or do anything that isn't '_acting like Ichig_o' I get zapped."

"Wow… that blows."

"You're tellin' me…"

"So… does that mean asking her out is a no-go?"

"Not unless I want to have a jackhammer behind my eyeballs for the next few weeks."

"Okay… well then if you can't ask her out, mind if I give it a shot?"

"Go ahead. It's not like I can do anything about it…"

"Actually, Asano-san, I don't think that's such a good idea…"

"Why not, Mizurio? And stop being so formal. That joke's gotten pretty old…"

"Right, sorry. Anyway, didn't you hear about yesterday, after school? Tatsuki made Ichigo-chan go with her to Karate Club and apparently the new girl gave her a run for her money."

"Wait a minute… you mean that our _Strawberry Bombshell_ took on the _Demonic Dragon_… and survived?"

"Apparently she didn't just survive. Rumor has it that when the fight was called off Tatsuki was starting to lose. On top of that, I heard this other rumor that a few days ago a gang tried to jump Chad and Ichigo-chan showed up and gave him a hand. They say that the two of them took down almost a dozen guys all by themselves, without getting so much as a scratch."

"W-wow… holy crap."

"So, you really want to risk making someone that tough angry?"

"No… I think I'll pass on this one too. There are plenty of other girls out there that are hot and _can't_ break every bone in my body."

The trio had a good-natured laugh at that comment before letting their conversation slip towards their more normal topics, letting their minds wander as they approached the school gates.

Kon kept up the jovial facade, but upon entering the mostly filled classroom he couldn't help but groan inwardly at his current predicament. He had a school full of beautiful, innocent, and _smokin'_ _hot_ girls, most not only available but of _legal a_ge, and he couldn't ask a single _one _out!

That was totally unfair.

But _Ichigo_ got to do this _every single day_…

And he _could_ ask them out.

Which made Kon _honestly_ wonder about the Substitute's mental health.

For starters, the guy was pretty ripped. Even though Kon didn't swing _that way_, he had to admit that all of that fighting had made the teen _damn_ sexy. The idiot could probably make every girl he met _swoon_ if he just put a little effort into it.

But, of course, he _didn't_.

Which lead to his next conundrum. Ichigo was _surrounded_ by hot girls, his class _alone _was _full _of them, and for some _unfathomable_ reason he hasn't made a move on _anyone_! Not only that, but the damn Substitute had to be the most _innocent_ teen alive because no matter how many times Kon ransacks his room he _never_ finds anything even remotely… _incriminating._

The Mod Soul would almost think the teen was _gay_ if it wasn't for the fact that he was surrounded by hot _guys_ too, and hadn't made a move on _them_ either!

In fact, the teen hadn't shown any signs of sexual interest _or_ orientation.

Seriously, it was like the kid's hormones were _defective_ or something…

* * *

For perhaps the hundredth time that week, Ichigo Kurosaki was very, _very_ disturbed.

It had started while the gender-bent teen was sitting at his new desk, waiting for class to start, when a fight broke out just outside the door.

At first he didn't pay any attention to it. Fights were common, and the gender-bent teen was in a fairly decent mood so he didn't feel like getting involved. He'd managed to wake up before Orihime this time, so he got to cook breakfast, which made his day World's better before it even started.

Eventually the scuffle ended, but just as Ichigo was about to close his eyes and relax a bit someone walked into the classroom and loomed over his desk.

The teen opened his eyes, expecting to see Tatsuki since his old/new friend had _demanded_ a rematch; one Ichigo had no intention of giving her.

After all, if he didn't give her a rematch, then he didn't have to join the Karate Club.

But when the teen opened his eyes, what he saw bewildered him.

There was a boy in front of him.

The guy looked like the athletic type, and from the black eye he was sporting he'd probably been a part of the fight earlier. That wasn't all that interesting… except…

It almost looked like he was… _blushing_….

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at that.

Why was there a guy _blushing_ in front of him?

That was just… weird.

Then the boy spoke, and it took every ounce of self control the gender-bent teen had to keep from making the kid's other eye black too.

"I-Ichigo-san, I know that you haven't been here very long, but… well, Valentine's Day is coming up and I was w-wondering if you'd… you know… "

The student apparently noticed the deepening scowl on _Ichigo Inoue's _face, because he stopped talking and squeaked before quickly high-tailing it out of there.

Only to be replaced by another boy.

And this one had _flowers_.

And behind him, through the door, there was _another one._

Ichigo had a terrible feeling brewing in the pit of his stomach.

As the gender-bent teen stood, the rational part of his brain tried to remind him that it was only natural, and that these guys had no idea that Ichigo wasn't really a girl, and it _really_ wasn't their fault.

But the indignant, offended, and all round _disgusted_ part of Ichigo Kurosaki's mind kicked that rationality into a deep dark corner as he strode purposefully past the guy with the flowers and out the door.

And he couldn't _believe_ what he saw.

There was a _line_.

Nearly a _dozen_ students were lined up, waiting for their turn to go into the class room.

And based on the stares, and various shades of pink twinging their cheeks, the gender-bent teen was suddenly getting they were probably there to see _her_.

Thankfully, just moments before Ichigo's brain would have kicked back into full gear, likely resulting in the Substitute kicking something _else, _the first bell rang.

The gender-bent teen watched as everyone in line groaned and started milling away before he quickly turned, disturbed beyond belief and fully intending to punish the next person to ask _her _out.

* * *

Just as the students were starting to filter the rest of the way in, an out-of-breath but profoundly exuberant red-head rushed through the halls, trying to get to class in time to see a certain ginger beauty. The red-head had been ill for the last few days, but she was _finally _over her little bug, and was perhaps the only student eager to return to school.

As she rounded the last corner, the teen breathlessly rushed into her classroom…

… and immediately crashed into a stranger with long orange hair_._

* * *

**HA!**

**I **_**told**_** you I was **_**evil!**_

**Wait till **_**Keigo**_** sees, you said…**

**Wait till **_**Kon**_** sees, you said…**

**You all should have been more worried about the **_**red-head…**_

_**(Cackles Maniacally)**_


	22. Laws of Gravity

**God, I had to fight with this chapter.**

**It's short, but I like it.**

**And just so you know, we are **_**not**_** done with **_**you-know-who**_**…**

**You'll see.**

**Master File Word Count: 67,250**

**Master File Page Count: 171**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

Chizuru Honsho was a little confused.

But not the least bit disappointed.

She had been expecting to…. well, in all honesty she didn't know _what_ she had been expecting. One second she was running to class, the next she sees a shock of orange, and then she's horizontal…

… And there's someone _underneath_ her.

Some _girl._

A girl she _didn't know._

Chizuru was about to glace up, if only to get a better look at whoever had broken her fall, until she noticed exactly _where _she had landed.

The position they were in was quite… _agreeable_.

And the person she'd… _fallen _on wasn't trying to push her off like the other girls normally did.

The lesbian considered this for a moment before deciding to… test her boundaries.

* * *

A loud crash at the rear of the class startled all of the students waiting for their homeroom teacher.

Tatsuki Aisawa was fairly close to the back entrance when it happened, mostly because she wanted to make sure Ichigo-chan didn't hurt one of the idiot boys in the hallway. She had been relieved when the bell rang and Orihime's cousin returned to the classroom, but the martial artist had picked the wrong moment to look away because two seconds later there was a yelp and a scuffle of feet, quickly followed by a loud crash.

By the time she turned back, the scene before her had changed dramatically. Several desks had been flung about and Ichiog-chan was nowhere in sight.

That is, until she looked _down_.

And the scene she found made her want to blush in sympathy.

There on the floor was Ichigo Inoue, lying on her back and clutching her head where it had, apparently, connected with the floor rather sharply.

And on top of her, lying between her spread legs, was Chizuru Honsho.

But if that wasn't bad enough, the careless lesbian had managed to land face first into the dazed teen's sternum.

And thus, consequentially, between her _breasts_.

Tatsuki could only just stand there and stare. The sight before her was oddly erotic in a disturbing kind of way that made the martial artist shiver in disgust.

It wasn't until Tatsuki noticed Chizuru's wandering hands and Ichigo-chan's pained groans that she realized that the lesbian was about to take advantage of the…. _situation_, and the injured teen wasn't coherent enough to stop her.

Which did not sit well with Tatsuki at _all_.

So as Chizuru's hands started to go to places they didn't belong, the martial artist quickly grabbed her by the hair and lifted her off their dazed classmate with only _slightly_ more force than necessary.

And then proceeded to fling the lesbian half-way across the room and away from the prone Ichigo-chan.

By the time Tatsuki finished removing the immediate threat that was Chizuru and turned back to check on her rescued classmate, the martial artist found that Orihime and the recently arrived Home Room teacher had beaten her to the punch.

There wasn't any blood, but apparently Ichigo-chan had hit her head _hard_ during the fall.

In fact, the poor girl didn't even to seem to have noticed that Chizuru was only a few seconds away from properly _groping_ her.

Thank God for that.

If there was one thing Tatsuki has learned for sure about Ichigo Inoue, it was that when it came to things like this she was about as shy as they come. The poor girl changed for gym in the bathroom stall for crying out loud! The martial artist was fairly certain that if she was in her right mind her new friend might just have died from embarrassment…

… Or killed Chizuru.

And as much as Tatsuki disliked how Chizuru behaved, it wasn't worth killing her over.

Coming out of her reverie, Tatsuki realized that Ichigo-chan was still completely out of it, and Orihime was fretting over the rather painful looking bump on the teen's head. The teacher suggested that she be taken to the nurse's office, and the two concerned friends were more than willing to do the heavy lifting.

Getting the injured teen up was a bit harder than they anticipated, but eventually Tatsuki and Orihime managed to drag their new friend out of the classroom. They practically had to _carry_ her down the first few halls before she managed to get her legs to function well enough to support her own weight.

Which caused Tatsuki to come to a conclusion that made her strain to keep away the laughter.

For someone so skinny, Ichigo-chan sure was _heavy_!

* * *

Ten minutes later, Ichigo's brain finally started working again as he sat in the nurse's office.

And he wasn't sure what hurt worse.

His head…

… Or his _pride_.

On the one hand, floors were not designed to cushion falls, and that little tumble had rung his bell _hard_. He barely remembered someone slamming into him, and then everything was just a haze of pain until about half-way to the bench where he was currently sitting.

But on the other, Ichigo had to admit that he was getting careless. Honestly, he should have at least been able to _brace_ himself! But no… he'd let his guard down and turned around _just _as some _random_ student decided to barrel him over and introduce his skull to Newton's Laws of Gravity.

The direct result of which was a groaning Ichigo leaning against the wall behind him with only an ice pack and a mild concussion to keep him company.

The nurse had wasted no time in sending Tatsuki and Orihime back to class as soon as Ichigo was settled, and quite frankly the gender-bent teen was glad for that. The last thing he wanted was for his friends to sit there and watch him be hurt.

It was degrading.

As soon as they were gone the school nurse had proceeded to examine Ichigo, much to the teen's chagrin. For some reason that demented woman felt the need to shine a tiny light into his eyes, making his already throbbing head feel that much worse. Eventually she said he had a mild concussion, which he could have told her right from the _start_ if she had bothered to ask, before giving him a few aspirin and an ice pack, and leaving him to his own devices.

The next thing the gender-bent teen knew, his throbbing noggin wasn't throbbing quite so vehemently, and after a little while Ichigo found himself actually enjoying the quiet, despite the hammer beating a cadence inside his skull.

But a few minutes later… or perhaps a few hours, Ichigo honestly couldn't tell at this point… the peaceful atmosphere he had been enjoying was suddenly shattered when the door opened…

* * *

***Sigh***

**I'm glad that's done.**

**Now…**

**Any guesses as to who's behind door number 1?**

'**Cause even **_**I**_** don't know for sure… **_**yet**_**.**

…

**And, now… I have to go through all of my chapters and correct a spelling error. **

_**Damnit**_**…**


	23. Wait, My What?

**FINALLY!**

**Gah! That was hard.**

**Like I said (or wrote. Whichever), I didn't actually **_**know**_** who was behind the damn door.**

**Now I do.**

**And it's not who we all thought it was going to be.**

**Master File Word Count: 68,672**

**Master File Page Count: 174**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything.**

**

* * *

**

Karakura High School's local nurse couldn't help but wince with every groan that came from the young girl sitting in the room nearby. She knew that the poor thing wouldn't be going back to class today. That bonk on the head had done a number on her.

With a sigh, the middle aged woman retreated from her office, heading to the school's record room. Once she arrived there she told the secretary at the desk what had happened and waited for her to pull out the student's file, looking for her list of emergency contacts.

Ichigo Inoue needed to go home.

There was only one available phone number, for a shop of some kind not too far from the school itself. Another groan came from the adjoining room, and the nurse wasted no time in picking up the receiver and dialing the numbers on the paper in front of her.

* * *

The door to the room adjoining the nurse's office opened, and a middle aged woman that Ichigo Kurosaki recognized as the school nurse herself walked in with a barely concealed grimace on her face, and if it wasn't for the fact that she was talking to the gender-bent teen Ichigo would have just ignored her entirely.

"Inoue-san, since you have a concussion it would be best if you went home for the day…"

The word '_home'_ had Ichigo up and out of his seat despite the throbbing pain in the back of his head. He almost swooned for a moment before clenching his jaw and stubbornly willing the room _not_ to twirl around like a top.

But what the nurse said next made the injured teen's head want to spin for a different reason/

"… I called your Godfather, and he's here to pick you up."

… _Uh…_

… _Wait… my what?_

Before Ichigo could voice his query in an aggravated and potentially exposing manner, a man followed the nurse through the door and it took every ounce of the teen's remaining self control to keep from growling in irritation.

Meanwhile, the man before him just smiled mischievously.

* * *

Back in class, Orihime gazed at the spot where Ichigo had fallen, a look of worry clouding her normally bright and cheery face. One of the tiles had actually been _cracked_ where her friend's skull had met the floor. Worse still, the nurse hadn't let her stay to make sure he was alright, instead ushering her and Tatsuki back to class.

The young girl could hardly pay attention to the teacher's lecture now that Ichigo was hurt and in the nurse's office. All she could think about was finding a way to get the two of them together long enough to heal the injury. She would have done it before leaving him if it wasn't for the fact that Tatsuki was there with her. Orihime didn't know if Ichigo would be able to keep a straight face while she fixed the bump on his head, and the last thing she wanted was for her best friend to figure out that the two of them were keeping secrets again.

The healer sighed dejectedly as she gazed at the clock, willing it to move faster, when the door to class opened and one of the students that helped out in the office dropped off a note on the teacher's desk. A few moments later the teacher paused in her lecture long enough to read the slip before silently nodding and addressing the room.

"Orihime Inoue, your cousin is going home early. Please gather her things for her and bring them to the nurse's office."

Orihime didn't have to be told twice. Quietly she thanked her luck stars as she moved to the back of the classroom and gathered Ichigo's bag before bolting out the door. This was the perfect opportunity to heal her injured friend without anyone else noticing.

* * *

The man standing before Ichigo Kurosaki had bright red hair.

And he was wearing an imitation black Italian suit.

And he doing perhaps the _worst_ impression of Marlon Brando the teen had ever heard.

Ichigo was going to _kill_ Urahara for this.

The shopkeeper himself was talking to the school nurse, pretending to be a suave Italian mobster and embarrassing the _hell_ out of the injured teen he was supposed to be taking home. Ichigo knew from the look Urahara had given him upon entering the room that this was his way of getting even with the Substitute for that little prank the other day.

But the worst part was that the nurse seemed to be buying it. By the time the door opened again, revealing Orihime much to the gender-bent teen's relief, Urahara had the clueless woman practically eating out of his hand.

Which just annoyed Ichigo even _more_.

Thankfully Orihime's arrival made the nurse reluctantly excuse herself, sparing Ichigo from this new form of torture. He watched as his generous friend cocked her head to the side as she studied the new red-head before she seemed to realize who it really was.

"… U-Urahara-san?"

"Yes, indeed! Well done on getting it right on the first guess."

"Ah… thank you. But why are you here?" Orihime's brow seemed to scrunch up in confusion before her lip curled up in what almost looked like _distaste_, "And what happened to your _hair_?"

"Well, I'm here to take _Ichigo-chan_ home since _she_ seems to have bonked her head rather hard. And as for my _hair_… perhaps you should ask _Kurosaki-san_ about that."

Urahara sent a poignant look Ichigo's way, and the teen couldn't help but grip his mostly melted ice-pack harder before sending a scathing glare the shop owner's way. He nearly growled out a '_You deserved it'_, but quickly regretted it as the vibration in his skull reminded the teen of his most recent injury.

The wince quickly sobered the room, and an instant later Ichigo could feel a far too familiar _rietsu_ envelop him. The gender-bent teen could see the amber of Orihime's Souten Kishun surrounding him, and he almost purred in relief as the pain quickly faded into nothingness.

Mere seconds later the bump was gone and the grateful look Ichigo sent to Orihime had the girl smiling brilliantly again, much to his relief.

Of course, that relief was quickly replaced with extreme aggravation when the gender-bent teen caught sight of the infuriating grin plastered onto Kisuke Urahara's face.

Ichigo decided that he really, _really_ hated that smile.

He was going to get back at the demented shop owner for this.

In the meantime, his head was healed and Ichigo was wondering just what he was supposed to do now. The whole reason he had to go home was because he had a concussion, but Orihime had taken care of that. Ichigo actually _could_ finish school today, but he couldn't just walk up to the nurse and say '_Hey, all better now!_' Just the same he didn't want to go home and sit around the apartment by himself again. The last time he did that… well, he went a little _stir-crazy,_ and the gender-bent teen was in no hurry to do it again.

So when Urahara suggested another option, Ichigo _almost_ forgave him.

_Almost_.

"Well, _Ichigo-chan_, we should get you back to the _shop_ so we can keep an eye on you. You can do your… _homework_ while you're there."

Ichigo groaned, knowing full well that when Urahara said _homework_ he meant _Kidou._

Before Ichigo could properly begin to grumble he saw the now red-headed man lean in towards the two teens before whispering hastily.

"Actually, Inoue-san, I want you to come by after school is over. Yoruichi-san has been pestering me to get the two of you started on your training, and I've run out of excuses for her, so tonight we're going to see if either of you are any good at not blowing yourselves up!"

Ichigo paled at that thought, and a look in Orihime's direction showed that she was just as nervous as he was. They hadn't really had the time to study the books Urahara had given them, and now they were supposed to start flinging _fireballs_ around…

As Urahara motioned for them to follow him out of the room, Ichigo and Orihime glanced at each other, and as their eyes met they both knew that they were thinking the same thing.

There was no _way_ this was going to end well…

* * *

**Alright, now that **_**that's**_** done…**

**I can't **_**wait**_** to make Ichigo try his hand at Kidou.**

**This is going to be **_**so**_** much fun!**

**And if you got the reference, kudos to you!**


	24. Kablewy

**Uh… wow.**

**This chapter was a lot longer than the others.**

**It just kinda ended up that way.**

**And just so you know, this will **_**not**_** be the last time we see Ichigo playing with Kidou.**

**Ah… good times…**

**Anyway, I've been distracted lately. And not in the good way, but who cares about that. It took me a while to get back to the happy, fuzzy place that my mind has to be in to write this story, so I did some work on His Wish, Fulfilled in the meantime. Several later chapters are already done for that story, so when the proverbial shit hits the proverbial fan, it'll happen real quick-like.**

**Personally, I've started playing SMT: Imagine Online again. I was a part of the closed beta way back when it first came out, but I was so fail at online games back then that I couldn't even get the chat box to work right. I have since remedied that, and now I just need to figure out how to kill the damn boss at the end of the grey plate quest.**

**For anyone who plays the game, you probably already know what I'm talking about. An army of Forneus and Decabria on top of a boss? **_**COME ON!**_

**That's such total BS…**

…

**God damn starfish…**

…

**Master File Word Count: 70,788**

**Master File Page Count: 179**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

By the time school let out and Orihime was able to make it to the Urahara Shoten, Ichigo Kurosaki had long since come to an exhausting conclusion.

Kidou was hard.

Ever since he'd arrived after being plucked from school, Ichigo had been subjected to a new kind of torture known as Tessai with a book and a blackboard. This time Ichigo managed to pay attention, mostly because the giant of a man still scared the dickens out of him, only to find that Kidou was ungodly complicated. There was _rietsu_ theory, manipulation, and control, Kidou development and modification, healing and Chakra Circulation… The list kept going, and just when Ichigo thought it was about to end Tessai would start on another subject without missing a beat and Ichigo would want to pound his head against the wall.

Maybe if he got another concussion the shop assistant would take pity on him and let him take a break…

Just before the gender-bent teen was going to beg his new task-master to stop before his head exploded he heard Urahara, who had vanished right after leaving Ichigo in his new tormenter's care, greet Orihime Inoue in the store's common room.

Ichigo nearly groaned in relief at that before cautiously looking to Tessai, who merely hummed out a sigh as he closed the book he had been reading from. Taking that as a confirmation that today's torture was done, the gender-bent teen stood up and stretched his aching muscles, pointedly ignoring the smirk that came to his teacher's face as he opened the shoji and joined Orihime and Urahara in the adjoining room.

The shop-owner had changed clothes, abandoning his cheap Italian knock-off suit for his normal outfit, complete with clogs and that ridiculous green and white stripped hat that now clashed gaudily with his artificially reddened hair. The teen smirked at that. For all of the maniacal scientist's knowledge and technological prowess, it looked like he couldn't find a way to get rid of a little hair dye.

Ichigo's mirth quickly faded, however, when Urahara turned and greeted the gender-bent teen before leading him and Orihime towards the trap door at the back of the shop, and straight towards the hidden underground training room.

Ichigo's shoulders slouched in defeat as he followed the demented shop-owner, long since having given up on protesting. His brain was a pile of mush and in all honesty the teen just didn't _care_ anymore. If Urahara was so hell-bent on having him and Orihime attempt to do their first spell today, then fine.

Maybe when he blew himself up he could take that crazy scientist out with him.

* * *

Said scientist was actually quite pleased with himself as he watched the reactions of the two barely protesting teens after they had finished climbing down the ladder that lead to his recently revamped training grounds. Orihime predictably '_ooh-ed_' and '_ah-ed'_ in delight, while Ichigo just seemed to stand there dumbfounded.

Inside the subterranean facility, things had changed drastically.

The basic layout was still the same. The 'sky' was still blue, there were still large boulders strewn about everywhere, and there were still a few dead trees poking up here and there.

But now there was more.

He'd set the areas up with various spells in mind. There was a section of cleared ground littered with standing, life-size practice dummies made of straw and bamboo, much like one would find at the Soul Reaper Academy. Along another stretch there was a target range set up with more than a few wooden cut-outs with red bulls-eyes painted on them situated before one of the larger boulders.

And then there was the area they were currently in. Several dozen bamboo pylons were stuck into the ground, each with strings attaching them to each other, suspending little pieces of paper that were to be used as practice for the first spell the shop-owner was going to teach his students.

Urahara quickly sat them down and started instructing them on how to use the most basic of Kidou.

They were going to learn _Hado Number 1: Sho_.

He quickly explained to them the simplicity of the exercise. The idea was to cast the spell and aim it at the pieces of paper, ideally ripping one off of the strings. After a little coaching and a quick sketch in the dirt at their feet the excitement in the air grew, and even Ichigo seemed hopeful that this little exercise might not end in disaster.

The spell itself was actually quite simple. There was no incantation, and the symbol was barely more than a circle.

Even for someone like Ichigo it shouldn't be that hard.

The teen, however, always found a way to complicate things.

Orihime wisely tried the spell first, and even without any coaching from Tessai she managed to make it work on the first attempt. The strings jiggled, but she couldn't quite get the force necessary to rip the paper off yet. The scientist mused that the lack of force likely had less to do with a lack of power and more to do with a lack of will to hurt. It was the healer's Achilles Heel, and Urahara had a feeling that the young lady's Hado would suffer from it regardless.

Ichigo was up next, and in all honesty the '_humble'_ shop-owner had no idea what to expect. The _gigai_ he had made for the Substitute to hide in was designed to keep others from sensing his constantly leaking _rietsu, _but it was also made to let him use Kidou without restraint. After all, there was no way the scientist could take away _all_ of the teen's defenses. That meant, however, that the crux of Ichigo's ability to perform the spell would be placed on his concentration and control. Contrary to popular belief, the teen could focus with the best of them. If there was going to be a catastrophic failure of any kind, it would be from his notorious lack of command over his immense _rietsu_.

So when Ichigo took his stance and got ready to try his very first Kidou, Urahara gave him his full attention, as well as a wide breadth.

What happened next was not quite what any of them had anticipated.

As soon as the words '_Hado Number One: Sho_' left the Substitute's lips there was what could only be described as a _cataclysm_ of force and energy. Dust quickly kicked up into the air with a vengeance, obscuring everything from view. Urahara had to close his eyes to protect them from the rogue particulates, and hold onto his hat to keep it from flying away.

When the mini-whirlwind finally settled down and visibility returned there was only stunned silence before a quiet voice, that of Orihime Inoue, whispered aloud in awe precisely what the other observers and participants were thinking.

"Wow… Kablewy, Kurosaki-kun…"

* * *

Orihime's voice quickly woke Ichigo from whatever shock-induced stupor he found himself in. He was sitting on the ground, his hands resting limply between his knees, his clothes and hair dirtied and blown askew by the concussive blast. He silently looked between his fingertips and the tangled mass of string and uprooted bamboo, to the crushed rubble that had once been a gigantic boulder several yards _behind_ the little training area. His eyes widened as he stood, completely stunned at the raw carnage he had caused. All of that lecturing with Tessai made the teen think that the moment he even _attempted_ to do a spell it would either fail or blow up in his face. He thought for sure that he was going to suck at this, but now…

Now he was silently revising his previous assessment.

Kidou _Theory_ was hard.

But Kidou itself… maybe not so much.

* * *

Ichigo and Orihime left Urahara's shop well after nightfall, exhausted both mentally and physically. After the initial testing to see where their strengths and weaknesses lie, Urahara and Tessai had concluded that Orihime would practice with the paper and strings, while Ichigo would practice on boulders. The scientist told them that he would consider the technique mastered if Orihime could rip off a piece of paper, or if Ichigo could cast the spell without destroying anything.

Which was a lot harder than it sounds.

They _had_ made progress, but after a long training session preceded by an even longer day of lectures, the two teens had finally reached their limit. At the very least Tessai had been kind enough to cook them diner, so all they had to do was go home, get clean, and go to bed.

Focused as they were on just marching their way back to Orihime's apartment, neither of them noticed a familiar presence nearby until he made himself known.

"Good evening, Inoue-san."

The two teens looked up to find Uryu Ishida staring at them.

* * *

The Quincy himself was just glad to have found Orihime unharmed.

Uryu had spent several hours during school contemplating what he should do after Ichigo Inoue had been sent home for the day. The Quincy had planned on confronting the transfer student with his findings at lunch, but Chizuru and the hard floor had made that practically impossible. There was no way Uryu could get to the nurses office without sending up a red-flag with the rest of their friends, which was the last thing he wanted to do right now. Without Kurosaki around, the Quincy had no idea how the group would react to a potential threat. He hated to admit it, but everyone always followed the Substitute Soul Reaper's lead in situations like this, and not having him here was starting to become a problem.

It wasn't until he overheard Orihime talking to Tatsuki, telling her that she had an errand to run as soon as school ended that the Quincy was finally able to make a decision. He would stop by Orihime's apartment once classes ended in the hopes of speak to Orihime's supposed cousin while the healer was out.

When he arrived, however, the apartment was vacant.

This further aroused the Quincy's suspicions, and before long he found himself in a near panic trying to find Orihime, who had apparently vanished as soon as school ended. It wasn't until well after dark that her _rietsu_ returned to his senses in the vicinity of a certain familiar shop.

When Uryu finally caught up with his classmate his suspicions redoubled when he caught sight of Ichigo Inoue. There were no signs of the previous injury the transfer student had received earlier in the day. Instead both she and Orihime were dirty and mussed, like they had been in a scuffle of some kind recently. Couple that with the fact that they were leaving the Urahara Shoten and Orihime's _rietsu_ was much lower than normal and…

It didn't take much for Uryu to connect a few of the dots.

He needed to confront this Ichigo Inoue, _now._

* * *

Ichigo barely managed to suppress a groan as Orihime and the Quincy greeted each other. She put up a good front while properly introducing the two of them, apparently remembering that _technically_ Ichigo Inoue didn't know Uryu Ishida.

Honestly, it was more than Ichigo could manage. He was tired, and his brain refused to work now that it didn't have to. Tessai and Urahara hadn't held back today at all, and it was a struggle for what was left of the gender-bent teen's grey-matter to even get out a casual greeting.

The trio walked for a bit, Orihime dazedly chatting with Uryu while Ichigo was just glad no one was asking for his input. It didn't last, however, for as they approached the last street before Orihime's apartment Uryu turned to the gender-bent teen and asked an unexpected question.

"Ichigo-san, might I speak with you alone for a moment?"

Said gender-bent teen looked at Uryu for a split second, confused but too tired to care, before shrugging and motioning for Orihime to continue on without him.

Once she turned the corner and was out of earshot Ichigo was caught by surprise when the Quincy's demeanor changed as his hand shot out, grasping the substitute's wrist tightly and lifting it into the air between them.

Ichigo was about to ask, rather heatedly, what Uryu thought he was doing, but stopped as soon as he caught sight of the suspicious look in his eyes.

"_What_ are you?"

Ichigo's eyes widened in confusion for a moment before they quickly snapped down in annoyance. Uryu was always too nosey for his own good, and his grip was starting to hurt. The gender-bent teen was seriously considering giving the guy a bloody nose as he replied.

"Let go."

"Not until you answer my question."

"I'm human. Now let go."

Uryu didn't comply. Instead he pushed his glasses up with his free hand and narrowed his eyes imperceptibly before Ichigo felt a strange tingle in the air around him.

Suddenly, several dozen white spirit ribbons erupted into the open air.

"You can see them, can't you?"

Ichigo swallowed nervously, silently cursing Uryu and his observation skills. The bastard probably noticed the substitute's reaction during gym when the Hollow showed up the other day and started putting the pieces together from there.

Stubborn by nature, however, Ichigo's response was purely reflex.

"What are you talking about? I don't see anything!"

"Precisely."

Now the gender-bent teen was confused, but before he could call Uryu crazy the young Quincy continued.

"These spirit ribbons represent the essence of the souls they are connected to. The white ones are from humans. The red ones belong to Soul Reapers. But you…"

He reached out then in a motion that was familiar to Ichigo, and it suddenly occurred to him that even if he _was_ in a special _gigai_, people like Uryu could still figure out he was a Soul Reaper by checking his spirit ribbon.

Thankfully, before the gender-bent teen could properly panic Uryu's hand pulled away revealing only a tiny trail of dust falling from his fingertips.

"… You don't _have_ a spirit ribbon."

Ichigo tried to keep the gawking to a minimum. He knew Urahara had done something special to this body he was in, but…

He didn't get the chance to think further on the subject, because Uryu apparently decided that _now_ would be a sufficiently dramatic moment to _monologue_.

"I don't know what you are, but I do know that it is _not_ natural for a living soul to _not_ have a spirit ribbon. This tells me that you are either a new type of creature that simply doesn't _have_ one, which I find _highly_ unlikely, or you have found some way to hide yours. Regardless of which it is I will give you this one warning; I don't know _how_ you convinced Inoue-san to let you stay with her, but know that she has many _powerful_ friends, I among them, and if you bring any harm to her we will hunt you down and make you answer for your crimes."

With that, Uryu let Ichigo's wrist go before striding down the street, turning at the nearby intersection and disappearing from sight, apparently pleased with his pre-emptive threat.

The gender-bent teen, however, stood still for a few moments before his brain managed to process what had just happened.

To his credit, Ichigo did _try_ to keep the laughing to a minimum. Really, he did, but what just happened was just _too_ hilarious.

Even as a stranger, and the opposite _gender _no less, he and Quincy _still_ managed to find a reason to hate each other.

Some things never change.

Ichigo smiled as he finally managed to get the laughing-fit under control, heading out in the same direction that Orihime had left in. He found her waiting for him only a few feet away from the corner of the street, and the worried look she sent him evaporated almost instantly when she saw the residual mirth on his face. He could tell that she was curious as to what Uryu wanted, but Ichigo decided to wait until they were back at the apartment first before telling her. He wouldn't put it past the Quincy to double back and spy on him, and the last thing he wanted to do was give the nosy teen any more information.

If Uryu Ishida wanted to solve the 'Mystery of Ichigo Inoue', he was going to have to do it the hard way.

* * *

**I like how I did the Kidou in this story. I think it's different from just about every other story out there.**

**And it let me use the word Kablewy.**

**That word **_**will**_** be returning.**

**It is, after all, one of my favorite words.**

**It's right up there with Sanguine, Fail, Omega, Paragon, Pineapple, Maelstrom, Scion, Starfish, Wonky, Allons-y and Fucktard.**

**Oh, and Delicious Sandwich.**

**Because Don Panini never gets old.**

_**Never.**_

_**Ever.**_

_**Gets.**_

_**Old.**_


	25. Day 6: Friday, February 12

**Okay, it's official.**

**It is **_**so**_** much easier to write when you have an outline.**

**I've had a basic one done for this story, but I did a full one for **_**His**__**Wish**_**, **_**Fulfilled**_**, and I kept wondering why that story was so much easier to write than this one. I thought that it might have more to do with the plot, or the action, but then I realized that it was the guideline. My thoughts were already in order for my other story, so I didn't have to ponder over what should go here or there.**

**So I started working on the outline for The One-Month Experiment too, and… just… **_**wow**_**.**

**It's **_**so**_** much easier!**

**I haven't finished the outline yet, but I've got the next few chapters properly mapped out, and boy am I glad for that.**

'**Cause things are getting a bit… complicated.**

**Read on and you'll understand what I mean.**

**Master File Word Count: 74,507**

**Master File Page Count: 186**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

Light filtered into a slightly disheveled apartment, causing one of its sleeping occupants to wake.

Orihime's eyes groggily opened for a moment before closing shut again as she groaned and rolled over to shield her senses from the offending sun. Normally she welcomed the morning, but right now she just wanted to go back to sleep. Her muscles were stiff with the after-effects of so much spent _rietsu_ and the healer felt drained in ways that were wholly unfamiliar to her. Even her occasional secret training sessions didn't leave the young girl quite this delirious the next day.

She had just about mastered the first Hado and would probably only need a few more shots to get the little strip of paper to rip off completely. Ichigo, on the other hand, still seemed to have a ways to go. He _had_ at least managed to only dent the boulders instead of reducing them to rubble. Still, it was an exhausting experience. A part of Orihime's mind remembered some comment Urahara had made yesterday about Kidou wearing her out more because she wasn't _actually_ a Soul Reaper, but it wasn't until this particular moment that she remembered it.

The tired girl allowed herself a little indulgence as she lounged in bed, seriously considering staying there all day. So much had been happening recently, and in all honestly Orihime simply hadn't had the time to process it all. The last week felt less like a few days and more like a few months. And the worst part was that people were starting to notice. Orihime was fairly certain that Uryu wasn't the only one suspicious of Ichigo. She had seen some of the odd looks Chad and Tatsuki would send her gender-bent friend sometimes, and it worried her.

The most troubling thing, however, was Ichigo himself.

As much as she hated to admit it, Orihime was afraid that the Substitute wasn't adapting well. Every day he seemed to be just a little more on edge, a little more subdued, and a little less like the confidant young man she knew so well…

Orihime's thoughts were interrupted by the nearby alarm as it finally went off.

With a resigned sigh Orihime forced the last of her sleepiness away. She was a responsible girl, and more importantly they had a test in Math today. As much as that lazy part of her may want to, Orihime knew that she couldn't just skip school because she was a little worn out. She had gone to class in much worse shape than she was in today.

She even went to school the day after she got back from Hueco Mundo.

Something about the normalcy of class always calmed the young healer. In a sense, it was the one thing that hadn't really changed. They had lectures, and gym, and lunch, and all of her friends were there: It was the one constant in their everyday existence ever since that fateful day nearly a year ago when Rukia Kuchiki had come into their lives and turned their whole world upside-down.

Sighing at her train of thought, Orihime quickly gathered her clothes, dressing in her room rather than the bathroom since she had showered the night before. When she considered herself presentable enough to enter the common room of her apartment Orihime was surprised to find that Ichigo actually wasn't awake yet. Her current 'roommate' had taken it upon himself to try and wake up first and make breakfast. It almost felt like a little competition between the two of them, and usually Orihime would jump at the chance to cook for the Substitute, but before she could get to the kitchen the healer heard something from the other side of the room that made her shiver.

A moan.

It was a strangled and tortured whimper, like the sound alone was painful make, and Orihime quickly turned in the direction of the chilling noise to find Ichigo, lathered in sweat and panting shallowly, his feminine face set in a grimace of sheer _agony_. The healer drew closer to the suffering teen and noticed how his muscles were all taut, his body rigid despite the obvious fit of shivering that was trying to overtaking him. Taken aback by the sight of Ichigo Kurosaki in such a pained state, Orihime belatedly realized what she was seeing.

Ichigo was having a Nightmare.

It never occurred to her that _Ichigo_ could have Nightmares.

In her mind, the Substitute, even _gender-bent_, was untouchable. He was strong and brave, and he never let anything get to him. He could stand up to anyone, and _anything_, by nothing more than force of will.

So the idea that he could suffer from a Nightmare just like everyone else was… preposterous…

… Wasn't it?

But here he was, groaning and shaking, moaning and _hurting…_

And she was just _watching_!

That woke Orihime out of her shocked, and slightly frightened, stupor.

Ichigo was hurting, and she needed to do something to help him.

_Now._

Biting her lip nervously, Orihime knelt down beside the distressed Ichigo, quickly but gently setting her hand on his shoulder before shaking him and calling his name.

The effect was instantaneous.

The spring-tight muscles all contracted at once as Ichigo went from horizontal to sitting up, eyes wide and wild. For an instant Orihime almost thought she saw a lighter color than she was used to reflected in the momentarily panicked orbs, but Ichigo quickly closed his eyes again, visibly forcing himself to calm down. When the gender-bent teen finally managed to at least partially tame his ragged breathing he looked back to Orihime, and the girl was relieved to see that the irises were their normal chocolate brown.

She pushed what she thought she saw aside for the moment as she tried to find a way to comfort Ichigo. She hadn't removed her hand from his shoulder, and the skin beneath her palm was practically freezing. It was only then that she noticed that his entire body had not been shaking from fear but from _cold. _Ichigo was still shivering, and Orihime instinctively grabbed the blanket the Substitute had been borrowing and wrapped him in it before rushing off to the kitchen area to make some warm tea.

She had no idea what had brought on the strange fit, but by the time Orihime returned with a steaming cup Ichigo seemed to have recovered some. As she offered the drink to her ailing friend, the gender-bent teen shot her a grateful look before drinking some and sighing with deeply aching relief. Eventually Ichigo managed to find his voice again, and even though the words were hoarse and quiet the first thing he said warmed the young girl's heart a bit.

"Thanks Inoue."

"Y-you're welcome."

Orihime saw a tired smile twitch its way onto Ichigo's lips, and her concern only grew. For a second she contemplated not asking, but the haunted look in his eyes and the small tremors that still paced up and down his chilled flesh made her change her mind.

"Ah… D-do you… want to talk about it?"

"N-no…" Ichigo shivered again, though Orihime wasn't certain it was from the cold this time, "I… I don't think I can… a-and I wouldn't even know where to start…"

"O-okay. Do you want to stay home?"

Ichigo shook his head before getting up, thanking her one more time before assuring her that he would be okay. Orihime watched as the visibly shaken Ichigo gathered his things together and slipped into the bathroom, presumably to take a shower.

The healer watched him go, sympathy and sadness warring with themselves in her eyes. A part of her was glad that she was able to be there for Ichigo, even if it was just a little bit. But another part of her was terrified at what she had just seen, and yet another was deeply depressed that he wasn't willing to open up to her and let her try to help.

And deep down, in one of the darkest parts of her heart, Orihime couldn't help but think that, if she were _Rukia_, maybe Ichigo would have told her what was wrong.

* * *

Across town the light of an opening Senkaimon, invisible to the average human eye, filled a small alleyway barely a block from the Kurosaki Clinic. As it dissipated, a petite Soul Reaper with raven black hair strode forward, heading straight for the home of Ichigo Kurosaki.

She was loath to admit it, but Rukia Kuchiki was glad to be back. Her _gigai _was where she left it, wrapped in a blanket and stored in the shed at the back of the Kurosaki residence. As she quickly retrieved the fake body, entering it and trying to shrug off the cold in its limbs, something started to nag at the petite Soul Reaper. Something just wasn't quite right, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Sighing before locking the shed back up and making her way to the front of the house, Rukia quickly attributed her odd feelings to apprehension. This most recent return to the Soul Society had been brutal on her nerves. Even though the war was over there was still so much rebuilding and reorganization left to do, and politics were starting to come into play again. Petty rivalries and alliances between noble houses were manifesting now that they no longer had a common enemy threatening their general way of life, and she was unfortunately being dragged into the middle of it.

And all because of Ichigo.

There was a lot of mystery surrounding the last battle of the war, presumably a battle between the Substitute Soul Reaper and the Traitor Sosuke Aizen himself. The official report only states the broadest possible overview, with no detail or even the confirmation of Aizen's death. The only person that knew for sure what happened back then was Ichigo Kurosaki.

And he wasn't talking.

And Rukia wasn't about to ask.

Even if every noble family in the Soul Society begged her to.

As the petite Soul Reaper approached the door of the Kurosaki household, she let ought a despondent sigh. Everything had become so ungodly complicated recently. Ichigo had never been quite right after that last battle. He looked broken, and tired, and Rukia honestly didn't know what she should do to help. The normal tactics used to cheer the Substitute up didn't seem to work, and in the end the noble was forced to just give the teen his space and let him figure it out on his own. It took a while, but she thought he had finally been getting better recently…

But it was also possible he was just putting up a strong front so everyone wouldn't worry about him…

It was at that moment that Rukia Kuchiki prepared to knock on the door of the Kurosaki household, only to have it swing open with Ichigo's sister Karin on the other side.

"You're back."

The simple statement rocked Rukia back for a moment. Was it pure coincidence that Karin had opened the door just as she was about to knock? The petite Soul Reaper wanted to think that it was, but the lack of shock on the young girl's face and the way she kept looking around Rukia, expecting to find something that wasn't there, told her otherwise.

Then Karin spoke again, and what she said sent a tiny trill of fear down the Soul Reaper's spine.

"Where's Ichi-nii? I thought he'd be with you…"

"He's not here?"

"No, but the fake one is."

At that comment Rukia quickly checked her surroundings and sure enough Ichigo Kurosaki's _rietsu_ was gone. Some of the energy lingered in the area, but it was like the last vestiges of light in the sky that remained after the sun had set.

Then Rukia realized that Karin had noticed Kon, and immediately panicked into doing damage control.

"Uh… D-don't be silly! T-there's no such thing as a fake…"

Karin sighed before painting an annoyed look on her face, and Rukia found herself mildly intimidated by the young girl before her.

"Don't bother lying to me. I already know most of it. Ichigo takes off with you sometimes, and I know he has a good reason for it so it doesn't bother me. So now that that's cleared up, are you gonna tell me where he is?"

"Ah… well, I don't know. I didn't take him with me when I left. I was needed back home for a… personal matter. How long has he been gone?"

"Almost a week. Dad's at a conference so it's just been me, Yuzu, and the fake Ichigo for a while now."

"I see… When is your father returning?"

"He called and said he should be back Sunday, but that he had an errand to run so he might not be here until the afternoon."

"Hm…"

Rukia nodded her understanding and silence fell between the pair, each trying to think of what to do next. The only think they knew for sure was that Ichigo was gone, and they had no idea where he went or why.

And then Rukia remembered.

Kon was here.

Setting her face in a mask of determination, the petite Soul Reaper looked to Karin for a second before trudging into the house, muttering under her breath.

"I may not know where Ichigo is… but I sure as _hell_ know how to find out!"

* * *

**Oh yes, Rukia is back!**

**This was an angsty chapter, so I actually had to wait for my brain to come back from the happy, fuzzy place to the dreary, disturbed place that my mind usually only goes to when I go to bed hungry and have nightmares.**

**My nightmares are scary shit.**

**I don't get those 'go to school naked' nightmares, oh no! I get those 'running through an open air maze of glass panels in broad daylight while being chased, and caught, by a monster that wants to kill you by slowly pressing its metal hand into your stomach harder and harder until you die' nightmares. Or the 'giant centipede that breaks into the subway car you're in and proceeds to bite into the top of your foot **_**through**_** the stomach of the man sitting next to you as you feel the gastric juices burning your flesh and the centipede's jaw re-adjust to get a better grip' nightmare.**

**Oh yes, I would **_**gladly**_** take the 'naked in front of my class' nightmare over one of **_**those**_**.**

**Any.**

**Friggin'.**

**Day.**


	26. Singles Awareness

**Okay, I have two things to say.**

**First, it is fucking COLD! WTF? It's SUMMER! In CALIFORNIA! Why is it so damn COLD?**

**And Second…**

**This was the CHAPTER FROM HELL!**

**I'm serious. I've been so out of whack lately that it's taken me four (count them, FOUR) days to finally get it done. Seriously, WTF EPIC Writer's block…**

**It didn't help that I was essentially the walking dead for the last few days. I'm puppy-sitting for my mom since her dog needs to take his medicine at seven am and pm, but I'm a heavy sleeper (that is, when I finally manage to fall asleep), so rather than risk missing the morning dose I just stay up the whole night through.**

**Which would be great if it wasn't for the fact that I turn into the living dead for the first few days.**

…

**Mmmmmm… Braaaains…**

**Master File Word Count: 78,213**

**Master File Page Count: 194**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

By the time the petite Soul Reaper had finished interrogating a less than enthusiastic Kon, who she promptly released so he could go to school, Rukia wasn't sure if she should be relieved or worried. All she could get out of the Mod Soul was that Ichigo was gone, Urahara was involved, and the Substitute's father was suspicious.

None of the details had been made public yet, but Rukia knew about the Kurosaki elder's… powers. It really was Ichigo's fault that she found out. After the war ended things were somehow… _different _in the Kurosaki household, and for the life of her Rukia simply couldn't figure out why. Then, about a month ago, she walked in on Ichigo and Isshin as they were fighting, and had… overheard things.

At the time, the petite Soul Reaper couldn't decide whether to be offended or shocked. Unfortunately, when the two Kurosaki's noticed her presence rather than calming down and explaining they just started fighting _more_ until Ichigo got fed up and stormed upstairs.

That left her alone with Isshin Kurosaki: Soul Reaper.

The following conversation was short, and by the time it was over Rukia was fairly certain Ichigo's father was bi-polar. He would go from silly to serious at the drop of a hat, and the young Kuchiki was honestly questioned his sanity. Somehow by the end of the conversation the doctor had convinced her to keep the fact that he was a Soul Reaper a secret, which wasn't as easy as it sounds considering the fact that every noble in the Soul Society wanted to drill her for information on both who, and _what,_ Ichigo was.

Since then Isshin had been trying harder to keep… _things_ properly under-wraps, but not without a price. He seemed to stop teasing Ichigo, and the normally warm, playful atmosphere surrounding the Patriarch had faded into a more reserved one, and Rukia wasn't afraid to admit that the change bothered her greatly.

Sighing at her train of thought, Rukia quickly shook it off before trying to decide what to do with the rest of the day. Knowing Urahara, the demented scientist probably wasn't going to be awake for several hours, at best, which left her with a lot of time on her hands and nothing to do with it.

After a few moments of consideration Rukia checked the clock and winced before rushing to the room she shared with Karin and Yuzu.

She was late, but if she hurried…

* * *

Sitting in his new seat at the back of the class, Ichigo Kurosaki was a mess.

He'd had _that _Nightmare again.

But this time… it was worse.

Ichigo was truly glad that Orihime woke him up when she did. He had never been so glad to see the worried girl before. His body had felt half frozen, and even the hot tea, warm shower and breakfast of warm oatmeal earlier hadn't managed to take all of the chill away.

Perhaps worse though was Orihime herself. The girl had spent the whole morning fretting over him, apparently somewhere between frightened and worried. A part of Ichigo, deep down, admitted that she had good reason to act that way. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like for her to watch him go through that, but if that terrified look he'd seen in her eyes when he'd woken up was any indication, it was pretty bad.

Ichigo shivered at that thought before pushing it away. As the teen listened to the teacher call roll, the Substitute couldn't help but sigh at himself. He was irritable, disturbed, despite the unseasonably warm weather he was _shivering, _and worst of all he was taking his discomfort out on the people around him.

Even as the teacher finished her roll-call, Ichigo knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate today. He was too miserable and, he admitted, too frightened. The gender-bent teen belatedly realized that he should have taken Zangetsu's warning a little more seriously. Before, back when the he was still trying to suppress those _particular_ memories, the Nightmare would only happen once or twice a month, and his reaction to them was never as bad as _this_. Now, with his defenses down as per his Zanpaktou's instructions, the Substitute was forced to endure the full brunt of the buried memories, and their effects on him.

Ichigo shivered at that thought. He could remember that day just fine, but that was the problem: He didn't _want_ to remember it. It was burned into his mind, against his wishes, and nothing he did could make the memories fade. Ichigo knew beyond any shadow of doubt that the incident that happened that day would stay with him for the rest of his life. Never before had he felt so powerful, so angry, so _right_… and yet so ashamed, so… _tainted_. Even Ulquiorra's death paled in comparison to what he felt now. At least back then he had the excuse of being unconscious and half dead…

Before the distressed teen could fall deeper into his reverie, the bell for the end of the period rang. Ichigo couldn't suppress the urge to jump when the shrill sound chased his thoughts away. It took a few moments for the gender-bent teen to calm his breathing, which had instantly gone ragged as his heart thundered in his chest. With some effort Ichigo managed to regain control over himself, and as soon as his shot nerves settled down again he sighed. He hadn't meant to space out like that, but Ichigo had managed to worry the whole period away without realizing it.

The Substitute looked around to see if anyone had noticed his little start, but stopped when his eyes locked with concerned grey orbs across the room. Ichigo tried his best to send a reassuring smile Orihime's way before standing up, deciding that the first thing he should do is apologize to her. She shouldn't have had to see Ichigo all torn apart over a bad dream, and in all honesty the gender-bent teen could have handled the aftermath better. He'd hardly said a word to the girl since they left her apartment that morning, and he could tell that she was worried about him even though she had been quiet and not said anything.

Unfortunately, just as the gender-bent teen was about to ask Orihime if she would meet him for lunch so they could talk the door to the classroom slid open. Ichigo looked up for a moment, and what he saw made his eyes widened in shock and momentary panic. Orihime noticed the look on his face and turned to see what had so unnerved him, only to squeal in delight.

"Kuchiki-san!"

Rukia was back.

* * *

The young Kuchiki would never willingly admit this, but she was actually _glad_ to see Karakura High again.

Despite being late, the moment Rukia entered the classroom she was almost instantly bombarded by the friends she'd made while posing as a normal teenage high school student. Questions were asked, and cover stories were told, and by the time the teacher for the next period arrived Rukia had been forced to promise to have lunch with the girls so they could discuss their 'plans' for the weekend.

She couldn't help but sigh at that thought. She knew that this Sunday was Valentine's Day; a day for couples to profess their undying love for each other and one of the few holidays that was celebrated in both the Soul Society and the World of the Living. It was _supposed_ to be a day of confessions and affection and chocolate…

Rukia inwardly scoffed at her line of thinking. Like that would ever happen for _her_. She was a _Kuchiki_. Her own _squad members_ were nervous just _talking_ to her, not that she'd want to go out with any of them anyway…

Unfortunately, the one person she _wouldn't_ mind going out with was too _busy_ and too _clueless_ to do anything about it.

Rukia huffed angrily at that. Boys could be so _stupid_ sometimes…

* * *

By the time lunch finally rolled around the girls were so focused on Rukia that Ichigo had practically been ignored. He still had to get through the re-introduction to his midget Soul Reaper friend, but thankfully everyone was so eager to get outside that most of the story got skipped over in favor of food and sunshine.

Ichigo was glad for that.

The last few days of near constant scrutiny had rubbed his patience raw, and in all honesty he was fairly certain that if all of those gossipy girls didn't lay off soon, the gender-bent teen was going to snap. Having someone else around to take their attention away from him was the best thing to happen all day.

Unfortunately that didn't get Ichigo out of being dragged out of the classroom to have lunch with them.

At the very least he'd had the chance to apologize to Orihime while they were walking outside. She just smiled and said it was fine, but Ichigo could tell that something was still bothering the girl. The healer had seemed elated when she saw that Rukia was back, but apparently the moment was fleeting and now she was back to sending worried looks his way, with a few odd ones thrown at Rukia when she thought no one was looking.

Ichigo honestly had no idea what was going on, and by the time everyone was outside and situated conversation had come to a standstill. It was odd, and Ichigo wasn't quite sure what to make of it until he took a moment to properly examine the girls around him. A few had sequestered themselves off to the side, but Orihime, Tatuski and Rukia were all still nearby. It was the latter that got his attention. The petite Soul Reaper seemed to be grumbling to herself, then she sighed before grumbling again, and Ichigo could almost swear that he saw a very un-Rukia-like pout on the midget's face.

Apparently he wasn't the only one to notice this, however, because a few moments later Tatuski's voice cut into the thickening atmosphere and the ensuing conversation made Ichigo want to cringe.

"Hey, Kuchiki-san, what's the matter? You seem a little down…"

"Oh, it's nothing, really."

"Hm… Let me guess: Boy troubles?"

"Ah… Uh… well, I suppose, in a way…"

"You too, huh? Alright then… time to put my plan into action!"

"Huh?"

"Listen Kuchiki-san; I don't know why, but everyone seems to be on edge recently. So I was thinking that we should do something to help us all relax a bit… just us girls, you know?"

"Uh… w-what did you have in mind?"

"Well, this Sunday is Valentine's Day, and I figured that since none of us have the dates we want we should just celebrate together instead! You know, have a Girls-Night! Stay up late eating ice-cream and watching movies while talking about the guys we like and why they're all dolts."

Ichigo watched the exchange before him with both morbid fascination and mild disgust. A part of him felt like this was seriously wrong; that he was intruding in an area that he didn't belong, and he should leave _now_. Unfortunately, he couldn't do that without making a scene and the last thing he wanted to do was raise Rukia's suspicions. It was bad enough that Uryu already had it out for him.

So Ichigo decided, against his better judgment, to keep his mouth shut and pretend that he wasn't there. He still couldn't help watching, though, and he noticed that Rukia seemed to be considering Tatsuki's idea, and the words 'ice-cream' had Orihime watching the exchange with undisguised interest.

Orihime's reaction had caught Ichigo's attention. As he watched her hang on Tatsuki's every word, a conversation he'd had with the martial artist a few days ago rang back into the gender-bent teen's consciousness.

"_She just… doesn't get out much."_

Ichigo thought about that comment. He hadn't realized just how much of a burden he put on his friends just by being who, and _what,_ he is. He owed them in so many ways…

It was high time he started paying them back.

"We should do it."

Ichigo could feel himself suddenly become the center of attention again, but this time he didn't care. His gaze locked onto Orihime's, and her surprise was obvious as she stuttered out a response.

"A-are you s-sure… I-I mean…"

"You want to, right?"

"Uh… well… yes, I suppose…"

"Then that's all that matters."

Ichigo saw Orihime smile and try to hide a blush while across from them Tatsuki seemed to be sending him an appreciative look. Then Ichigo noticed that Rukia still seemed to be thinking about something, but she now had a bit of a smirk on her face that quickly blossomed into a full-blown grin before speaking to Tatsuki again.

"You know, I think you're both right. Things have been too stressful lately, and we could all use a break. In fact, I think I know the perfect place to do this."

"Really? Where?"

"The Kurosaki's. The place is big enough, and I think Yuzu and Karin could use the distraction too."

"You sure their dad won't mind? And what about… uh… you-know-who?"

"I don't thing we need to worry about _him_… I can get him to stay somewhere else for the night. As for Kurosaki-san… I think I'll ask. Give me a second; I need to talk to him anyway."

With that Rukia stood and moved away from the group, pulling out her cell phone as she went. As Ichigo watched her go he couldn't help but blanch slightly, fairly certain of what she was going to _talk_ to his father about. Couple that with the fact that they were planning to have this little get-together at _his _house and Ichigo quickly found himself more than a little concerned.

The teen's nervousness didn't go unnoticed as he felt a hand squeeze his wrist gently. Ichigo turned to find Orihime offering him a questioning look, as if she were asking if this was really such a good idea. Ichigo took a steadying breath before facing the healer's worried gaze and reassuring her that everything was alright.

And it was, as far as he was concerned. What Rukia had said was right; Yuzu and Karin probably _could_ use the company, and Ichigo wasn't ashamed to admit that he missed the twins more than he thought he was going to.

Besides, it was just going to be ice-cream and movies, right?

How bad could that be?

* * *

Across the way, just out of earshot of the rest of the girls she was spending lunch with, Rukia Kuchiki was nervously fumbling with her phone, trying to find the right number. Once she did she sucked in a breath before preparing for the conversation that was about to come. As soon as she was finished steeling herself, the petite Soul Reaper pressed a few buttons and made the phone call. She didn't have long to wait, because after the third ring there was a click, followed by the deep yet exuberant voice that she had come to associate with Ichigo Kurosaki's eccentric father.

"_Isshin speaking._"

"G-Good afternoon, Kurosaki-san."

"_Ah, Rukia-chan! You're back! Tell me, how are my lovely daughters doing today?_"

"They're fine. Yuzu and Karin were both happy to see me again."

"_Wonderful! And what of yourself, young lady?_"

"I am as well as can be expected considering the circumstances. I was actually calling to see if you would mind some of the girls from school coming over Sunday for a little get-together."

"_Hm… this Sunday… But isn't that Valentine's Day? Shouldn't you girls be going out with your boyfriends or something?_"

"*Sigh* Unfortunately, it appears that all of the boys we are know are either clueless idiots, raging perverts, or spineless worms."

"_Uh… wow. That's kinda harsh…_"

"Perhaps, but that doesn't make it any less true."

"_O-okay. Well, I don't really mind you gals hanging out. Just remember that Yuzu and Karin have school then next day so you shouldn't keep them up too late._"

"I understand, but if I'm not mistaken, won't you be back by then?"

"_Oh, yes, I should be back in time for lunch… but… Rukia, I need to ask you something._"

The young Kuchiki blanched momentarily at the serious tone Isshin had just taken on. She hated to admit it but the eldest Kurosaki intimidated her greatly, so when Ichigo's eccentric and secretive father started sounding serious, she couldn't help but cringe and comply with his demands.

"Ask away."

"_It's about Ichigo. He didn't go with you, did he?_"

"No, he didn't."

"_*Sigh*… I see…_"

"I… I spoke to Kon shortly after I got back, and he mentioned that Urahara is involved. I was thinking about heading over there after class today…"

"_No, don't worry about it. I just wanted to make sure Ichigo wasn't with you before I started jumping to conclusions. I'll deal with it after I get back, so you just concern yourself with those friends of yours. I'm sure you could all use a break…_"

"Y-yes. Thank you, Kurosaki-san."

"_Rukia-ch~an! No need to be so formal! Just call me Isshin!_"

"R-Right!"

"_Alrighty then, you girls have fun!_"

"Yes sir!"

The conversation ended, and Rukia couldn't help the feeling of nostalgia that washed over her as she put away her phone before heading back to where Tatsuki and the other girls were waiting. She hadn't realized just how much she missed the jovial atmosphere that usually blanketed the Kurosaki household. She chuckled at that thought, remembering all the times she wished that the house was a little more quiet.

You really don't know what you have till it's gone.

* * *

**Thank GOD that's over…**

**Seriously, I'm still off my game. I probably will be until I'm no longer responsible for taking care of the damn dogs.**

**Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to give said dog his medicine, then drink the rest of my tea and go my sorry ass to bed.**

**It's too COLD for this shit!**

…

…

…**..Braaaaains…**


	27. Too Much Information!

**Writer's block is evil.**

**And so was this chapter.**

**I had so much trouble with this. I ended up taking something that was supposed to happen early on and moving it to the next chapter, which is now an entirely new chapter since this was originally supposed to be the last chapter for day 6.**

**Now that that's out of the way, I have an announcement to make.**

**I have officially started my own story. It was mostly a way to help me deal with my writer's block, but I've managed to get the prologue chapter and most of the first chapter done.**

**It's called 'Thunder King Jeremiah'.**

**It was originally supposed to be a Manga, so it's still set up by volumes, but I wanted to get the writing done because I love the story for it. There are complex characters and an interesting premise that does things a little differently than other Manga-esque stories.**

**So yeah.**

**If you're interested, I'm going to leave a little preview after the chapter. Then, if you decide you like it or are just curious, you can go to Fictionpress and read the rest.**

**Master File Word Count: 80,015**

**Master File Page Count: 199**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

* * *

Ichigo belatedly realized that this was _not_ what he signed up for.

The gender-bent teen was currently sitting on a soft cushioned bench as he glared around one of the girliest stores he'd ever seen while Tatsuki, Orihime and Rukia wandered about looking at dresses and skirts and makeup and about a dozen other things Ichigo Kurosaki had no business being around.

When he'd supported the idea of getting together for a movie-night he hadn't thought it would result in something like _this_. After Rukia returned with the O.K. to have the friendly gathering at the Kurosaki residence all the girls perked up and started chatting away. Ichigo was glad they were happy, but as soon as the conversation moved to clothes the gender-bent teen quickly tuned them out in favor of watching the clouds roll by.

That had been a mistake.

After a few minutes someone asked Ichigo a question that he didn't really hear, dragging the teen back to earth. When Tatsuki repeated herself, asking _Ichigo-chan_ if _she_ would like to come with them after school, he shrugged his shoulders and agreed without thinking, not really having anything better to do anyway.

Which was how Ichigo Kurosaki unwittingly agreed to go _shopping_ for the second time that week.

So here he was, sitting in a store he wouldn't want to be caught dead in, trying to suppress a groan as his friends chattered over one outfit or another. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that the trio of excited girls kept asking him what he thought about the clothes they picked out.

Honestly, clothes were clothes.

Eventually Tatsuki and Rukia realized that _Ichigo-chan_ wasn't in the mood to offer an opinion and settled for mostly ignoring _her,_ much to the gender-bent teen's delight. Orihime would occasionally glance his way, obviously concerned, but Ichigo would just wave it off, subtly telling her to go and have fun while she had the chance.

Unfortunately for the girls, said 'fun' was abruptly cut short by Rukia's Soul Pager.

Ichigo had to suppress the urge to jump up and run to Rukia's side when the pinging started. Thankfully the gender-bent teen managed to catch himself before anyone saw the slip up, Tatsuki and Rukia both too distracted by the threat of a Hollow's imminent arrival to notice. The girls started glancing between one-another and a familiar silent conversation took place before Rukia nodded and pulled out that blasted gikongon. In a few seconds the petite Soul Reaper was off to take care of her most recent orders, with Chappy left here in her place.

Ichigo suddenly found himself worried. Normally he would be following Rukia and they would chase down the Hollow together, but now she was off on her own and there was really nothing he could do about it. A thousand different things ran through his mind at that point.

What kind of Hollow was is?

Where was it going to appear?

Was there more than one?

Was Rukia going to be alright on her own?

Just as that particular thought entered his mind Ichigo tensed as he distantly felt the arrival of a low-level Hollow a few blocks away, and a responding rise in Rukia Kuchiki's _rietsu_ nearby. The gender-bent teen was instantly put on edge. He didn't like this one bit. Waiting was not one of Ichigo's strong points, especially when it came to the safety of his friends. He honestly had half a mind to chase after Rukia, and probably would have done just that if Orihime hadn't suddenly sat down beside him.

"She'll be okay."

Ichigo sighed, realizing just how obviously nervous he was, before letting out a small growl of frustration as he nodded in understanding. A few moments later the Hollow's _rietsu _vanished and Rukia's returned to its normal levels as she made her way back to the shop. The gender-bent teen admitted to himself that what had just happened sucked, but he was going to have to get used to it. As long as Ichigo was trapped inside of the energy-suppressing _gigai_ Urahara stuck him in there was nothing he could do to help…

Wait…

What if he could get _out_?

Ichigo thought about it for a moment as his eyes quickly fell on Rukia's currently Chappy-possessed _gigai_. Tatsuki was trying her damndest to keep the hyper _gikongon_ from making a scene on the other side of the store, and was just barely succeeding. It was a strange idea, and one that an Ichigo under normal circumstances would never allowed himself to consider.

But these weren't normal circumstances.

The fact of the matter was that the town needed Ichigo Kurosaki. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but _eventually_ something _will_ come along that his friends and associates alone can't handle. If, and _when_, that happens, the gender-bent teen needs a back-up plan: a way to get out of this _gigai_ other than his badge and Kon.

Chappy would have to do.

Mere seconds after he came to that conclusion, Rukia returned and reclaimed her _gigai_ before the insane Chappy managed to get them thrown out of the store. The girls started shopping again, but their hearts weren't in it for some reason, especially Rukia's. After another fifteen minutes or so the girls decided to get what they were getting and leave, much to Ichigo's relief.

There was still daylight outside and the four girls wasted no time in walking towards Orihime's apartment. For some reason everyone was suddenly quiet, apparently off in their own little worlds, which was just fine in Ichigo's opinion.

Unfortunately, it didn't stay that way.

"Kuchiki-san? Is something wrong?"

Ichigo was dragged out of his thoughts at the sound of Orihime's voice, drawing his attention to the petite Soul Reaper walking a few paces ahead of him. His curiosity quickly turned to concern as he took in the depressed look on the noble's face. She kept walking with her head tilted down, apparently so lost in thought that she hadn't heard the healer speak to her.

That wasn't like her.

"Oi, Rukia!"

Unlike Orihime, who was tentatively trying to get the petite Soul Reaper's attention, Ichigo always preferred the more direct approach. At the sound of the gender-bent teen's voice the younger Kuchiki's head shot up before falling on the faces of her companions, and Ichigo noticed the fleeting look of panic that crossed her face before she put up that same cheerful mask she usually used around his friends.

Apparently Orihime had noticed it too, because she sent a short glance of appreciation his way before pressing forward with her previous question.

"Kuchiki-san, what's wrong? You've been off in your own little world ever since we left the shop."

"O-oh, no, it's nothing really!"

Ichigo snorted at that. Rukia was being evasive, trying to play off whatever it was that was bothering her as unimportant. He could tell because it was something he did as well, and something _she_ called him on at every opportunity.

Unfortunately for Rukia, Tatsuki noticed it too.

"Come on, Kuchiki-san! We're your friends, aren't we? If something's bothering you you've got to tell us, otherwise how are we supposed to help?"

"I-It's not… I mean… I can't…"

This was too priceless. Ichigo was trying his hardest to keep from laughing as Rukia stumbled over her words, trying to find a way out of the situation she'd gotten herself into.

But Tatsuki wasn't about to let her go.

"You can't _what_ Kuchiki-san?"

"I-I-I can't say _that!_"

"Say what?"

"No! I won't!"

"Kuchiki-san, we're your friends! You trust us, right?"

"W-well, yes…"

"Then. Tell. Us. What's. Wrong."

"I'M JEALOUS! Okay, there, are you _happy_ now?"

"Jealous of _what_?"

"Of you and Orihime and everyone else! You're all so much bigger than me! I'm the smallest in the class! I've got no curves, everyone towers over me, and I look like a little kid!"

Ichigo cringed as he tried to hide the bright blush that was growing on his face after his friend's litany about how her… _assets_… were inferior to her classmates'. The conversation suddenly wasn't as fun as he thought it was going to be, and Ichigo knew beyond any shadow of doubt that he did _not _belong in it. This was a line he refused to cross, and he was _not _going to invade his friend's privacy any more than he already had. Ichigo quickly busied himself with trying to pretend that he was just a part of the scenery while searchong for a way to escape without the others noticing, without success.

Then Tatsuki decided to save the day, and like watching a train wreck Ichigo was unable to keep himself from paying attention.

"Kuchiki-san, you shouldn't think like that!" Tatsuki gave Rukia a quick glare of reproach before continuing, "You're probably just a late bloomer, and even if you aren't there's more to life than boobs! If a guy can't see past that then he is _so _not worth your time."

Ichigo was trying his best to keep his blush under control but he was failing miserably. He thanked whatever gods were listening that he was trailing behind otherwise he was fairly certain someone else would have noticed the heat on his face. The quartet continued to walk in silence, but they didn't get far before Rukia dropped her head and quietly, and almost indignantly, muttered a question under hear breath.

"Who blooms this late, anyway?"

Ichigo didn't know if that was a rhetorical question, but he wasn't about to try and answer. How the hell would he know anyway? Tatsuki, on the other hand, thought to herself for a few moments before speaking up, and the gender-bent teen nearly tripped in surprise at her response.

"Well, Ichigo, for one…"

Rukia gave Tatsuki and incredulous look as she glared between the martial artist and the gender-bent teen that was wishing he could turn himself invisible, an eyebrow raised as if to ask 'Are you kidding?' Tatsuki laughed a bit before waving the glare off and clarifying.

"No, not _this_ Ichigo, the other one!"

Rukia still seemed confused, and for that matter so did Orihime and Ichigo _herself_, so Tatsuki decided to elaborate further.

"Boys Ichigo's age are supposed to have raging hormones that make them think of nothing but girls and sex. Guys like Keigo and Mizurio are actually closer to the norm for human society than most people would think. All guys are supposed to be like that to some degree, even Chad and Ishida have been caught staring once or twice, but not Ichigo. Think about it – Have you ever _once_ seen him stare at a girl's boobs, or her legs or waist or _any_ part of her body other than what's from the neck up? I haven't, and there can only be two explanations for that. One is that he's a late bloomer and his hormones just haven't kicked in yet."

Rukia seemed to accept this answer, and Ichigo was ecstatic for that. He was honestly hoping that this conversation was over. His face felt so hot that the gender-bent teen imagined he could fry an egg on his cheeks right now if he wanted to, and he honestly wasn't sure how much more of this conversation he could take.

Luck was not with him, however, because a moment later Rukia asked the obvious question.

"What's the other reason?"

"Well," Tatsuki paused before dropping the proverbial bombshell, "The second reason would be that he's … well, _gay_."

The effect was instantaneous. Before he could stop himself, Ichigo lit up like a Christmas tree and his mouth gaped as he stuttered before managing to squeak out a single word.

"_What?_"

Ichigo sputtered for a few seconds more, ignoring the odd stares Tatsuki and Rukia were giving him, before finally closing his mouth and shuddering in mortification. He wasn't _gay_! He liked girls; he just didn't show it like most people did. He didn't have a lot of… _experience _in that area and… well… he was willing to admit that he was just a little bit _shy_.

He remembered that evil trick Yoruichi pulled when she changed back into a human in front of him and was secretly glad that he was so heavily injured back then. The pain of having his wounds reopen had quickly gotten his mind off of the naked woman in front of him, because otherwise he probably would have gotten a nosebleed and fainted on the spot and would never, _ever,_ have lived it down.

The whole staring in class thing was a different matter entirely. Now it was simply a matter respect and habit, but before he became a Soul Reaper Ichigo just couldn't managed to bring himself to look at anyone like that. Most girls reminded him of his sisters or, in some cases, his mother. The first was slightly disturbing and the second was painful, so he always tried to keep his distance and respectfully mind his own business.

After becoming a Soul Reaper, though, things changed. He'd managed to come to terms with his mother's death to some degree, lifting a heavy emotional burden off of his proverbial shoulders. But even then it didn't matter, because he was just too damn _busy_ and he didn't have _time_ to think about girls or hormones or relationships.

He had lives to save, damnit!

The rest of the time, he was just too tired from saving said lives to really care.

"He's not gay, that's for sure."

Ichigo could have hugged Rukia for that. This conversation was embarrassing as hell, and the last thing he needed was for Rukia and Orihime to think that he batted for the other team.

That would just be way too awkward.

"I'll take your word for it Kuchiki-san. Besides, what I really want to know is what brought all this up, anyway? Why are you suddenly so sensitive about your figure?"

"Ah! W-well…"

"Come _on!_ We've been through this already. We're your friends! You can tell us!"

"R-right. Well… it's just… *sigh* I don't know. Things have been tough lately, and I guess I'm just stressed out."

"Stressed, huh? Boy troubles?"

"*Sigh*…. Kinda, but it doesn't really matter. I haven't seen him for a while now, and as bad as it may sound I'm actually glad for that. I think I just need some space to help clear my head."

"Okay. Just remember, we're here if you want to talk."

"Yeah, thanks."

Ichigo kept his mouth shut, well and truly out of his element. He didn't want to think about the implications of that little conversation, so he wasn't going to. Thankfully, Orihime's apartment was in sight, which would hopefully mean the end of the conversation.

Unfortunately, at that particular moment the healer herself decided to be polite.

"Kuchiki-san, it's getting a little late. Would you and Tatsuki-chan like to stay for diner?"

_Oh no…_

* * *

**Now, before anyone gets on my ass about it, I am **_**not**_** bashing Rukia. I honestly think that would be a problem of hers, and it gives me an excuse for what happens in the next chapter.**

**Also, the whole 'gay Ichigo' conversation has been pre-written for ages now, which was also part of the problem. I had to wiggle and change things around until it all made sense again.**

**I hate doing that.**

**Aaaanyway, back to the little bonus I have for everyone.**

**This is an excerpt from Thunder King Jeremiah Volume 1: Electric Encounter: Chapter 1 'The Girl Who Won't Be Caught'.**

**I hope you like it.**

* * *

She was a bodyguard's worst nightmare.

And at the moment that nightmare was being chased by two less than enthusiastic men in black suits, broiling in the summer sun and trying their best to catch her before she made a big enough scene to get on the local news.

Again.

On the other end of the block Mable was running for all she was worth, her sea foam eyes sparkling with the thrill of the chase. This was so much more fun than shopping. The young lady had decided that morning that she wanted to take a swim, and had specifically chosen that shop to browse so she could slip away and make a break for the shore. She could almost smell the saltwater in the air. They were only half a dozen blocks from the ocean…

Maybe this time the heiress would make it all the way to the beach before they caught her.

So intent was she on her sprint that Mable failed to notice the change of the light at the intersection she was approaching. She continued to barrel down the sidewalk, nimbly dodging the people around her as she made for the crosswalk, unaware of the incoming traffic. Mere moments before Mable would have entered the street, and subsequently been rendered a greasy spot on the pavement, three things happened in quick succession.

First; the bodyguards trailing behind cried out a warning, pleading for someone to stop her.

Second; a young man standing by the light pole waiting for the signal to change dropped his duffle bag and the book he was casually reading.

And Third; strong arms quickly wrapped themselves around Mable's waist, holding her tight and pulling her back just as a Semi-truck came barreling through… mere inches from the startled heiress's face.

It took a few moments for the young girl's mind to process what had just happened, but once it did her knees turned to jelly and if it wasn't for the person behind her holding her up Mable would have crumpled to the concrete. Her nerves were instantly shot, and as she was gently cradled from behind and lowered to the ground all the heiress could do was look down and shake. She could vaguely hear someone speak to her with a soft voice, trying to calm her down, before it was joined by two voices she recognized.

Her bodyguards.

When the suited men gently lifted her up from where she had apparently slumped to the ground, she didn't bother putting up a struggle. Going for a swim didn't seem quite as much fun as it had a few seconds ago. Instead the young girl let herself be lead away, too shaken to put up any real resistance.

Back at the light the young man that saved Miss Winright's life quickly and silently shouldered his duffle bag before stooping to pick up his fallen day-planner. The red, leather bound book had closed, and written on the front were only three words.

_Rendshaw, Year Three._

Jeremiah Rendshaw quickly re-opened the book to the page he had been reading earlier. Inside the box for the current date were a few neatly written lines, the graphite light and fading.

_11:17 AM. Stopped girl from running into intersection._

The teen checked his watch, noting the time.

It was 11:18 AM.

* * *

**I know this doesn't give much of an idea of what's going on, but that's the point isn't it?**

**I'm going to try to set up a link on my profile page to both the story and my profile on Fictionpress.**

**And in case anyone's forgotten, I have the same pen-name on both sites.**

**Just in case you feel like saying hi.**


	28. Damage Control

**Well, look who's back!**

**And just in time for Christmas, no less…**

**Anyway, lots of stuff's been happening. After my Super-Massive-Writer's-Block-of-Doom, I had a section of time where I was kinda depressed, then things got better (more on that later), then I started writing outlines for two new fanfictions and several original stories, and now I've finally managed to perform that much-needed CPR on my imagination.**

**Just so you know, it took me a VERY long time to stop hating this chapter. I had accidentally written myself into a corner and I could not for the life of me find a way out of it.**

**Thankfully, that has now been rectified, and I can officially say that this is the End of Day 6. I suggest, since it's been so long and all, that you go back and re-read the last chapter just to refresh your memory on what's going on.**

**On a side note, I had to omit and move several major plot points, but I think it will be worth it. **

**Now, I'll tell you guys all about my misadventures during my absence at the end of the chapter. Right now, after such a long hiatus period, I figure you'd just want to get on with the chapter.**

**I would, however, like to give a special shout out to **_**Some Random Tosser **_**and **_**AZLCIKOI**_**, who have both been kind enough to put up with my super-rants and crack-pot ideas long enough to talk me back to sanity.**

**Thanks a bunch, you two!**

**And for anyone that cares…**

**Master File Word Count: 82,524**

**Master File Page Count: 205**

**Again, without author's notes.**

**And I still don't own anything**

**

* * *

**

"Oh, no… I can't…"

"Sorry, but I should really…"

The moment the word 'Dinner' came out of Orihime's mouth the gender-bent teen could have sworn he saw horror flash before Tatsuki and Rukia's eyes. A second later, they were talking over themselves, trying to come up with whatever excuse they could to get out of having Orihime cook.

He honestly couldn't blame them.

Ichigo would have laughed if the situation weren't so awkward, especially after that excruciating triad about his sexual orientation. The gender-bent teen silently swore to set Tatsuki straight once things were back to normal, if only to protect his own image. The last thing he needed was his childhood friend telling people that he was gay just because he didn't go off chasing skirts with Keigo.

At the moment, however Ichigo would have to settle for watching with mild amusement as Tatsuki and Rukia glared at one another for a moment, assessing each other before a nod was given by the martial artist, indicating that Rukia should go first.

"Thank you for the offer, Inoue, but Kurosaki-san is out of town at the moment and I can't in good conscience leave the girls on their own this late in the evening."

Ichigo mentally scoffed at the blatant attempt at escape. He knew for a fact that Rukia didn't have any problem leaving Yuzu and Karin to their own devices, even if his father wasn't around. Apparently the ploy worked, however, because after a moment of consideration Orihime nodded in understanding, but before she could respond further Tatsuki cut in.

"Sorry, 'Hime, but mom wants me home for dinner tonight. You know how she is…"

The gender-bent teen sent Tatsuki an incredulous, though unseen, look. At least Rukia's excuse had some credibility to it, but the martial artist's sounded like nothing less than a bold-faced lie.

Orihime didn't seem overly phased by it, though, as she hummed in understanding before sighing and letting a small pout find its way to her lips. For the second time in as many minutes Ichigo found himself suppressing the urge to chuckle, the strange face the healer was making having struck a bit of a chord with him. Tatsuki, however, had no qualms about it and wasted no time in letting out a quick laugh before squishing Orihime's cheeks together, telling her to cheer up and promising that they'll see each other tomorrow at school. Orihime quickly grinned and agreed, leaving Ichigo to wonder if that was normal behavior for the two of them.

With the clumsy and awkward atmosphere sufficiently dispelled, Tatsuki said good-night before heading home, with Rukia quickly following her example. Barely a minute later, Ichigo was once again left alone with Orihime outside the young girl's apartment.

The gender-bent teen watched the young healer out of the corner of his eye as she gazed down the street where Tatsuki and Rukia had just left. Once the two girls were out of sight, the smile on Orihime's lips turned bitter-sweet, and for a moment she looked so very sad. For that tiny instant the girl before him wasn't the happy, bubbly healer he was used to. She was someone else… someone Ichigo had never seen before…

And she looked so lonely.

Ichigo felt a tug at his heartstrings when he saw that look on Orihime's face, but before he had a chance to examine it the moment passed and she turned, her gaze finding its way back to Ichigo. Apparently Orihime had forgotten that he was still there because she started for a moment, blinking owlishly at him. The healer stared for a few seconds, and just as Ichigo was starting to become worried that something was wrong her eyes suddenly widened as her cheeks turned a deep red. She stumbled over her words a few times before looking down at the ground, apparently thoroughly embarrassed about something.

Ichigo himself was confused. One second Orihime was happy, the next she was sad, and now she was blushing worse than he'd ever seen before.

What the hell?

"Oi… uh, Inoue, is something wrong?"

Orihime glanced up for a moment before returning her eyes to the ground as she mumbled out something that Ichigo couldn't quite hear.

"*Sigh*… Inoue, you have to speak up."

The gentle girl bit her lip before speaking again, but it was still too low for Ichigo to make out more than a few syllables. Suppressing a growl of irritation at the girl's shyness, the gender-bent teen replied again with more force in his tone.

"Inoue, if you don't speak louder I won't be able to understand you. Look… if it's about what just happened here it's fine. It's completely understandable to feel sad that your friends can't stay…"

"N-no… that's n-not it…"

And now he was confused. Orihime was stuttering and blushing almost as badly as she did when she first saw him after Urahara's _experiment_. Before Ichigo's brain could figure out what had his friend so unhinged, she finally decided to speak up, only to confuse him further.

"I'm s-sorry, Kurosaki-kun…"

That sentence threw the young substitute for a loop. Orihime was sorry for something, but he had no idea what. As far as he could tell, she hadn't done anything worth apologizing over. No matter how hard he wracked his brain, Ichigo could not, for the life of him, figure out what was going on in that girl's head.

So he did the only thing he could do.

He asked.

"Uh… what are you sorry for?"

"F-For… um…"

"_Inoue…_"

"F-For Tatsuki-chan! Sh-she… she said y-you were…_you know_."

And suddenly it all made sense, and Ichigo's mind happily supplied him with what was undoubtedly the cause of Orihime's tinted cheeks.

_Oh, dear lord… she thinks I'm gay!_

It was suddenly Ichigo's turn to blush.

"Uh… Inoue…"

"I-I mean, not that there's anything _wrong_ with that! W-with being… uh…"

"_Inoue_…"

"Y-you know, th-there are plenty of people out there who are! I-I'm sure you'll find…"

"_Orihime!"_

Orihime jumped in place before glancing at Ichigo. The gender-bent teen knew he was blushing, after all who wouldn't be after a conversation like that? Regardless, he fought down his embarrassment and wasted no time in pining his gracious host with a mild glare before sighing with exasperation and deciding to diffuse the situation before it got any further out of hand. Ichigo reached up and poked his finger between Orihime's surprised brows, making sure he had her full attention before speaking, hoping that he could undo the damaged that had been done.

"Inoue, listen carefully 'cause I'm only gonna say this once, alright? _I. Am. Not. Gay_. Tatsuki's got no idea what she's talking about and she probably just said that to make Rukia feel better, so stop worrying about it."

"A-are you sure…?"

"Yes. I'm absolutely, positively sure."

As Ichigo removed his finger and released his captive a tiny part of his mind questioned the look of relief on Orihime's face when he said those words. He was almost tempted to ask her about it but in a flash it was gone, replaced by the bright, cheery Orihime Inoue he's always known.

Disaster averted, Ichigo wasted no time in ushering Orihime into her apartment and out of the unseasonably warm night air, silently praying that tomorrow would be far less… _eventful_.

* * *

After escaping what she could only think was a fate worse than Karaoke night at Squad 11, Rukia Kuchiki hurried away from Orihime Inoue's apartment at only a _slightly_ faster than normal pace.

She was a Kuchiki, after all. She had an image to maintain.

Regardless of that fact, Rukia couldn't help but feel a more than a little embarrassed. She had allowed herself to be cajoled into having an emotional outburst, something a proper Kuchiki would never allow. She couldn't help the urge to blush and shudder at the thought, thanking whatever gods that saw fit to watch over her that her brother hadn't been there to see that.

If he had, he probably would have sent her back to Etiquite Class.

As she shivered at the thought of being prim and proper and _dainty_, Rukia turned the corner on her way back to the Kurosaki residence and was quickly shocked back to reality by a familiar voice.

"Kuchiki-san, over here!"

Waiting down the street and part way around the next corner was Tatsuki Arisawa.

For a moment Rukia was confused, figuring that Tatsuki would be halfway home by now, only to become exceedingly curious as the martial artist waved her over conspiratorialy. Even though Tatsuki now knew about Soul Reapers it was extremely rare for the martial artist to go out of her way to talk to the adopted Kuchiki. For a while Rukia honestly thought that Tatsuki didn't like her that much and she really couldn't blame her for that.

After all she had, even if inadvertently, gotten Tatsuki's best friend involved in some dangerous business that resulted in said girl's kidnapping.

Thankfully, the hostility had toned down in recent months and Tatsuki seemed to be warming up to her, but it was a slow process and Rukia would readily admit that they didn't hang out often. Now that she thought about it, the only reason the two of them had any real social interaction at all was their mutual friendship with Orihime Inoue.

So Rukia couldn't help but wonder why Tatsuki was now approaching her in such a suspicious way…

As Rukia reached the corner where Tatsuki was waiting the martial artist wasted no time in getting the impending conversation started.

"So, Kuchiki-san, what do you think about Orihime's cousin?"

Rukia was slightly taken aback by the question. In all honestly, she didn't really have an opinion on the new girl. For someone so tall and with such ostentatious hair, Ichigo Inoue seemed very good at disappearing into the background. In fact, Rukia was fairly certain that the new girl hadn't actually said a single word to her the entire time they were around eachother.

On top of that, Ichigo Inoue seemed, for lack of a better word, _clingy_.

Rukia had meant to pull Orihime aside at some point during their little outing to ask her about where Ichigo Kurosaki may have disappeared to. She had figured that if any of his friends were to know where he went it would be Orihime because, quite frankly, the young healer seemed to have a kind of radar for knowing where Ichigo Kurosaki manages to wander off to when he dissapears.

But, unfortunately, every time Rukia thought about trying to ask the question and find out what Orihime knew, that strange cousin of her's would be too close to risk the conversation. Perhapse she was getting paranoid, but Rukia couldn't help but feel that there were far too many humans with too much information about Soul Reapers and the Soul Society already, and by god she wasn't about to add more to the list if she could help it.

"Uh… Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia broke out of her musings at the sound of Tatsuki's slightly irritated voice, realizing that she was supposed to be answering a question.

"R-right, sorry. Okay, Inoue's cousin. She's… shy? Maybe a little rude… _Definitely_ not the best person to take shopping, that's for sure…"

"*Sigh*… Kuchiki-san… That's not exactly what I meant…"

"Well, then what did you mean?"

"I meant… uh, well…"

Rukia watched with curiosity and mild amusement as Tatsuki fumbled over her words a few more times before growling out another sigh, ruffling her own hair, and then standing up straight with a familiar determined look on her face. She seemed to take a moment to collect her thoughts, and when she spoke again her voice only held the slightest hint of nervousness.

"I've noticed a few things about Ichigo-chan, and after today I'm now certain that she needs our help."

"Uh… What?"

"Look, walk with me a while and I'll explain…"

* * *

**Okay, so now to explain what the HELL happened.**

**Shortly after my creativity decided to cos-play as an extra from **_**Flatliners,**_** I was stuck in limbo for a while. I just wasn't interested in doing anything, be it writing, drawing, reading, or even playing videogames (the Bleach manga had something to do with this. DAMN YOU KUBO!).**

**Anyway, I didn't start getting over it until I went to a Green Day concert, which was the most fun I've ever had at a concert, bar none. The concert truly made me fall in love with the band (which I only had a passing interest in before), and it made me happy to finally **_**love**_** something again.**

**After that, things started looking up. I was being a little more creative again, but I wasn't ready to go back to my current works. I started working on new things for a while, but I was going stir-crazy since I didn't have anyone to share my ideas with.**

**Enter **_**Some Random Tosser **_**and **_**AZLCIKOI.**_

**Just when I really needed someone to talk to, if only to get my damn thoughts in order, those two show up and let me use them as soundboards for my crack-pot ideas (and oh boy are there a lot of them).**

**Then Christmas time rolls around, and with it came one of the best things that has ever entered my life.**

_**My Chemical Romance's **_**'Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys'.**

**That has become my absolute favorite CD, E.V.E.R.**

**I could go on about how I love the 'Mad Max meets Big Brother' aspects of the music, or the fact that we're going to see them this upcoming May, but I'll spare you the overly zealous details.**

**On a side note, we saw the Trans-Siberian Orchestra again (which is still Epic Win), we went to the Dickens' Fair (I got a coffee/tea mug), and I'm getting a Zune for Christmas.**

**All in all, life is looking up!**

**Now, a question for everyone.**

**Does anyone actually care about my other crack-pot ideas? Not the fanfiction ones (of course you care about **_**those**_**). I mean my original stories. If my count is right, which I **_**think **_**it is, I've got 20 different original stories ranging from 'Ready to Write' to 'Barely a Wisp of an Idea', and I've been thinking about putting the concepts up on my profile page just for the hell of it.**

**So, should I do it?**

**Also, if anyone wants to talk to me, feel free to do so. You got a question? Ask it. Just want to talk about something or rant with me? I'm all for it. I've realized that I absolutely love to chat with people. I've been known to take several posts up with just one response (given, I was describing an entire ARC, but still).**

**Oh, and before I forget...**

**Happy Holidays, everybody!**


End file.
